Class
Article
College
College of Science
Faculty Mentor
Thayne Sweeten
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Recent scientific literature is uncovering important associations between vitamin D during pregnancy and related outcomes for maternal health, fetal health and early childhood development. Many studies have shown that large portions of the population are vitamin D deficient, especially in northern latitudes where there is a relative lack of sunlight. This problem is exacerbated when analyzing communities where dark-skinned immigrants have migrated to more northern latitudes (Datta, et al., 2002).This is because increased levels of melanin pigment in the skin make it much more difficult for people of darker skin tones to absorb the necessary UVB light to produce sufficient circulating levels of vitamin D. In addition to being vitamin D deficient, these people suffer from increased rates of autism in their offspring. Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between autism rate and maternal vitamin D deficiency. Other maternal health outcomes associated with vitamin D deficiency are increased risk of bacterial vaginosis, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes. Aside from Rickets, which is known to be caused by a deficiency of vitamin D in children, associated health outcomes in children include: asthma, linguistic development difficulties, alterations of some brain proteins, increased susceptibility for Type 1 diabetes, and alterations in learning and memory (Lapillonne, 2010). According to one experimental study conducted by Bruce Hollis, the current recommendations for vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy are too low to maintain sufficient circulating levels of vitamin D during pregnancy. Due to the high rates of deficiency in pregnant women across the globe, the effort of this study is focused on raising awareness through literary review, presentation of findings and collecting local data to provide healthcare providers with area-specific data.
Location
Room 101
Start Date
4-12-2018 9:00 AM
End Date
4-12-2018 10:15 AM
Vitamin D Levels During Pregnancy and Related Outcomes
Room 101
Recent scientific literature is uncovering important associations between vitamin D during pregnancy and related outcomes for maternal health, fetal health and early childhood development. Many studies have shown that large portions of the population are vitamin D deficient, especially in northern latitudes where there is a relative lack of sunlight. This problem is exacerbated when analyzing communities where dark-skinned immigrants have migrated to more northern latitudes (Datta, et al., 2002).This is because increased levels of melanin pigment in the skin make it much more difficult for people of darker skin tones to absorb the necessary UVB light to produce sufficient circulating levels of vitamin D. In addition to being vitamin D deficient, these people suffer from increased rates of autism in their offspring. Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between autism rate and maternal vitamin D deficiency. Other maternal health outcomes associated with vitamin D deficiency are increased risk of bacterial vaginosis, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes. Aside from Rickets, which is known to be caused by a deficiency of vitamin D in children, associated health outcomes in children include: asthma, linguistic development difficulties, alterations of some brain proteins, increased susceptibility for Type 1 diabetes, and alterations in learning and memory (Lapillonne, 2010). According to one experimental study conducted by Bruce Hollis, the current recommendations for vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy are too low to maintain sufficient circulating levels of vitamin D during pregnancy. Due to the high rates of deficiency in pregnant women across the globe, the effort of this study is focused on raising awareness through literary review, presentation of findings and collecting local data to provide healthcare providers with area-specific data.