Peculiarity of vitamin D status in pregnant women

The last decade can be called a "renaissance" of scientific interest in vitamin D research. The pleiotropic effects of vitamin D are impressive, particularly its impact on the pregnant woman and fetus. It has been established that an adequate level of vitamin D is necessary throughout pregnancy, starting from the moment of implantation and placenta formation. Aim - to study the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women in the first trimester of gestation for the prevention of gestational complications. Materials and methods. A clinical and laboratory examination of 1,051 pregnant women was conducted. The levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in the blood serum of pregnant women in the first trimester were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical data analysis was performed using the "Statistica 13.3.721" software. Results. In the first trimester of pregnancy, 87.9% of patients had critically low levels of 25(OH)D, indicating hypovitaminosis, while an optimal level of vitamin D was observed in only 12.1% of women. Severe vitamin D deficiency was found in 5.4% of pregnant women, deficiency in 45.8%, and insufficiency in 36.7% of women. Maternal age did not affect 25(OH)D levels in patients. The concentration of 25(OH)D in pregnant women who registered in the first trimester depends on the season, with the highest levels observed in spring. There is a correlation between body mass index (BMI) and 25(OH)D levels in the blood serum. A BMI >30 kg/m² significantly increases the risk of severe vitamin D deficiency. Conclusions. A high percentage (87.9%) of vitamin D deficiency was found among pregnant women, prompting physicians to perform screening for 25(OH)D to identify risk groups for obstetric and perinatal complications and to enable timely correction. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the author.