A STUDY BETWEEN RELATIONSHIP OF VITAMIN D LEVEL OF MOTHER AND ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES OF TERM NEONATES

Dharmanshu Chaube* and Swati Bhargava

ABSTRACT

Background: Vitamin D deficiency in women is unexpected in south Asian countries including India blessed with abundant sunshine. In central part of India, there are few studies about the demographic characteristics of women with vitamin D deficiency and its correlation with birth weight and birth length. The aim of this study was to evaluate demographic characteristics of pregnant women in relation to vitamin D deficiency and relate with neonates birth weight and birth length. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive analytical study of 100 pregnant women was carried out in government and government aided hospitals in Indore district in the state of Madhya Pradesh. An exclusion criteria was applied. A questionnaire was designed and demographic data were recorded. Participants socioeconomic status, level of vitamin D deficiency and body mass index as measure of health were classified as per guidelines. 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 was assessed in pregnant women and in umbilical cord blood of new born. Results: Maternal vitamin D severe deficiency was noted in 9%, deficiency in 59%, insufficiency in 21% and sufficiency in 11% of 100 participants. Age of the participants varied from 18 years to 39 years with average of 28± 7.14 years. Birth weight of 100 new born was in the range 1685 to 3300 gm with average of 2335±41.8 gm. Birth length of the newborn was in the range 34.2 to 54.9 cm with average of 44.3±4.78 cm. The newborn with vitamin D deficiency level <20 ng/ml were underweight Average weight of newborn with insufficient vitamin D level was 2566.6±86.4. Conclusions: Though maternal vitamin D level is significantly associated with socioeconomic status of participants, vitamin D deficiency was found even in women belonging to upper and upper middle class. Vitamin D deficiency is significantly related with birth weight and birth length. Similar results were obtained in a study of pregnant women in south India,[9] and in Iran.[16]

Keywords: Pregnancy, new born, vitamin D, birth weight, length, socioeconomic status.