Relationship between Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency and Low Neonatal Birth Weight

Abstract

itamin D has an increasingly recognized repertoire of nonclassical actions, such as promoting insulin action and secretion, immune modulation and lung development. It therefore has the potential to influence many factors in the developing fetus. Vitamin D deficiency may be a critical risk factor linking maternal in utero growth and subsequent pregnancy outcomes. Suggestive evidence links in utero growth with future vitamin D homeostasis. Possible mechanisms for associations between poor in utero growth and adulthood vitamin D deficiency involve reduced vitamin D binding protein (DBP), reduced renal function, and genetic variations that influence both fetal growth and vitamin D homeostasis. Evaluating maternal low birthweight (an indicator of suboptimal in utero growth) as a potential determinant of vitamin D concentration in pregnancy, particularly during early pregnancy, may enhance understanding of early life mechanisms of adverse pregnancy outcomes.