the Fodder File

Vitamin D for pregnant mums?

Should pregnant mums be taking a daily Vitamin D capsule along with a host of other prenatal vitamins?

There is contention among the ranks of regulators in England.  This from the BBC:

“Pregnant women in the UK should be told to routinely take vitamin D supplements, researchers say. The team at University College London Institute of Child Health says official bodies currently offer conflicting advice. Writing in the British Journal of Nutrition, they say there is a “strong case” for a daily dose of vitamin D in pregnancy. But one leading expert said more evidence was needed. The Department of Health advises pregnant women to ensure they receive a certain level of vitamin D – 10 micrograms per day (about 400 IU). The researchers say this in effect endorses use of supplements, because diet and the sun provide too little.”

During the winter, production of Vitamin D in the skin is a big whopping zero. But if a mum is pregnant during the summer months, it might be best to go for a stroll outside, with arms and face exposed.

There really is not very much evidence to support the Vitamin D-during-pregnancy link.  Most of the results seen today from Vitamin D research relates to bone health, with secondary outcomes looking at cancer – not so much to do with pregnancy and outcomes.  So the research base that provides this “strong case” really is pretty weak.  Pillars made of sand.

That’s not to say that future research will not reveal benefits… just that we haven’t probed them systematically yet.