Association Between Neonatal and Maternal Vitamin D Levels at Birth

Background Vitamin D is an important nutrient for skeletal and extra-skeletal health. Mothers and their neonates are frequently vitamin D deficient. This study aimed to find the association of neonatal vitamin D levels with maternal vitamin D levels at birth. Materials and methods This descriptive-observational study was done on mother-baby dyads at a tertiary center, which included mothers delivering a healthy baby at term gestation. In this study, we reviewed 102 mother-baby dyads. The maternal venous blood and cord blood samples were collected after delivery to determine vitamin D levels. Data collected were maternal socio-demographic variables, weight, height, and neonatal anthropometric variables. The descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and Pearson's R were used for analysis. The significant p-value was <0.05. Results The mean (SD) age and body mass index (BMI) of the mothers were 26.50 (4.04) years and 24.27 (4.06) kg/m², respectively. Vitamin D insufficient levels were reported in 96 (92.2%) mothers and 100 (98%) neonates. The mean (SD) vitamin D levels of the mother and neonate were 16.20 (8.29) and 15.23 (7.06) ng/mL, respectively, and were positively associated (chi-square value 3584.16; Pearson's R-value 0.676; p<0.0001). A significant association was found between maternal age, maternal dressing type, BMI, and neonatal anthropometric variables with both maternal and neonatal vitamin D levels. Conclusion A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in both mothers and their neonates was found along with a positive correlation between their vitamin D levels. Diagnostic screenings for vitamin D levels and supplementation during pregnancy should be considered to prevent deficiency in the mother-baby dyad.