The Role of Vitamin D in Fertility and during Pregnancy and Lactation: A Review of Clinical Data

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Stefan Pilz
  • Armin Zittermann
  • Rima Obeid
  • Andreas Hahn
  • Pawel Pludowski
  • Christian Trummer
  • Elisabeth Lerchbaum
  • Faustino R. Pérez-López
  • Spyridon N. Karras
  • Winfried März

External Research Organisations

  • Medical University of Graz
  • Ruhr-Universität Bochum
  • Children's Memorial Health Institute
  • Universidad de Zaragoza
  • Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.Th.)
  • Heidelberg University
  • SYNLAB Holding Deutschland GmbH
  • Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number2241
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume15
Issue number10
Publication statusPublished - 12 Oct 2018

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency is common and there exists a huge gap between recommended dietary vitamin D intakes and the poor vitamin D supply in the general population. While vitamin D is important for musculoskeletal health, there are accumulating data suggesting that vitamin D may also be important for fertility, pregnancy outcomes and lactation. Significant changes in vitamin D metabolism during pregnancy such as increased production of the “active vitamin D hormone” calcitriol support the important role of vitamin D in this setting. Observational studies show that vitamin D deficiency is a risk marker for reduced fertility and various adverse pregnancy outcomes and is associated with a low vitamin D content of breast milk. Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) document that physiological vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy is safe and improves vitamin D and calcium status, thereby protecting skeletal health. Although certain RCTs and/or meta-analyses reported some other beneficial effects, it is still not clear whether vitamin D supplementation improves fertility or decreases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight, pre-eclampsia and neonatal mortality, or reduces wheeze/asthma in the infants. Nevertheless, vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women is frequently required to achieve a sufficient vitamin D status as recommended by nutritional vitamin D guidelines. In this review, we provide an overview of systematic reviews, meta-analyses and large trials reporting clinical data on the role of vitamin D for fertility, pregnancy and lactation.

Keywords

    25-hydroxyvitamin D, Autism, Brain, Breast milk, DBP, Gestational diabetes, Pre-eclampsia, Vitamin D, Vitamin D binding protein

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sustainable Development Goals

Cite this

The Role of Vitamin D in Fertility and during Pregnancy and Lactation: A Review of Clinical Data. / Pilz, Stefan; Zittermann, Armin; Obeid, Rima et al.
In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 15, No. 10, 2241, 12.10.2018.

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleResearchpeer review

Pilz, S., Zittermann, A., Obeid, R., Hahn, A., Pludowski, P., Trummer, C., Lerchbaum, E., Pérez-López, F. R., Karras, S. N., & März, W. (2018). The Role of Vitamin D in Fertility and during Pregnancy and Lactation: A Review of Clinical Data. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(10), Article 2241. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102241, https://doi.org/10.15488/3893
Pilz S, Zittermann A, Obeid R, Hahn A, Pludowski P, Trummer C et al. The Role of Vitamin D in Fertility and during Pregnancy and Lactation: A Review of Clinical Data. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018 Oct 12;15(10):2241. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15102241, 10.15488/3893
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