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Maternal vitamin D status: implications for the development of infantile nutritional rickets
Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America, 05/04/2012
Clinical Article
Thandrayen K et al. – There is evidence that the supplementation recommendations, particularly for pregnant and lactating women, may be inadequate to ensure vitamin D sufficiency in these groups. Thus there needs to be a wide spread and concerted effort to ensure daily supplementation of breastfed and other infants at high risk with vitamin D 400 IU from birth and pregnant women in high risk communities with at least 600 IU.
- The mother is the major source of circulating 25–OHD concentrations in the young infant.
- Thus maternal vitamin D status is an important factor in determining the vitamin D status of the infant and his/her risk of developing vitamin D deficiency and infantile nutritional rickets.
- There is evidence that the supplementation recommendations, particularly for pregnant and lactating women, may be inadequate to ensure vitamin D sufficiency in these groups.
- Thus there needs to be a wide spread and concerted effort to ensure daily supplementation of breastfed and other infants at high risk with vitamin D 400 IU from birth and pregnant women in high risk communities with at least 600 IU.
- Future studies are required to determine the optimal doses of vitamin D supplementation needed during pregnancy and lactation; and for normalizing vitamin D stores in infancy to reduce the prevalence of infantile nutritional rickets.
