The Effect of Serum Vitamin D Levels During Pregnancy on Preterm Labor

Shuchi Manish Jain, Pranali Thool, Shreya Mor, Manish Jain, Pradeep Biswas

Abstract

Background and aim: Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is crucial for an optimal intrauterine environment needed for fetal development. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women in a rural tertiary care center and evaluate its effect on preterm labor and the neonatal outcomes.

Material and Methods: This was a prospective, analytical study conducted at a rural tertiary hospital. Totally, 153 pregnant women with threatened preterm labor were enrolled for this study. The serum vitamin D level was estimated using 2 mL of blood sample drawn from all the women. These women were then administered prenatal steroids. After medical management for threatened labor (tocolysis and steroids), they were followed up until delivery and postnatally till discharge.

Results: Among the 153 pregnant women, vitamin D deficiency was observed in 71.25% of them, and among these vitamin D–deficient women, 63.39% women delivered preterm. Further, vitamin D deficiency was more common among women residing in rural areas compared with those residing in urban areas (P = .08) Also, the vitamin D–deficient women had a statistically significant history of previous preterm delivery (P = .012). Vitamin D–deficient women were more likely to deliver before 37 weeks of gestation compared with those with normal vitamin D levels (P = .0001). As vitamin D deficiency is associated with preterm delivery and low-birth-weight neonates (P = .0001), vaginal delivery is more common than cesarean delivery (P = .004).

Conclusion: Vitamin D–deficient pregnant women have an increased incidence of preterm delivery leading to increased neonatal morbidity.