Widespread vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women suggests that antenatal screening for deficiency should be extended to all women, not just those traditionally considered to be at high risk, Australian researchers say.
A study in a region of northern Victoria found that around 80% of low-risk pregnant women have insufficient vitamin D levels, 28% have mild deficiency during the winter months and 7% have moderate to severe deficiency.
The study of more than 330 women attending routine antenatal clinics in Shepparton also found that deficiency was also present in the summer months, with 50% of pregnant women having insufficient vitamin D levels (between 50 and 75mmol/L), 12% having mild vitamin D deficiency (25-50mmol/L) and 3% having moderate to severe deficiency.
The findings, published in the Australia and NZ Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology may explain why some children in the region still develop rickets even though there is abundant sunshine, say the study authors from the Rural Clinical School of the University of Melbourne. They note that vitamin D deficiency was almost universal in women in their study who were from high risk groups such as those from Arabic backgrounds.
“However, our study would support routine testing for all antenatal women, as even apparently low risk women are commonly vitamin D deficient,” they write. The only question remaining is over the optimum level of supplementation, they say, with some doubt about whether the daily supplements of 800IU of vitamin D a day may be insufficient to raise vitamin D levels.
Acupuncture treatments appear to help to reduce insulin resistance, according to a report just released from the Kanazawa Medical University in Japan. Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years in China and has been increasingly used worldwide for insulin resistance-related diseases.
The diets of 161 women undergoing IVF treatment were evaluated to see if their dietary habits affected their chances of becoming pregnant.
Health experts are urging pregnant women in Tasmania to take iodine supplements to lessen the chances of their children developing low IQ’s. The Director of Public Health, Dr Roscoe Taylor, says most Tasmanians are iodine deficient because of low levels in soil and water. He says the health consequences of iodine deficiency in pregnant and breastfeeding women is greater because of the risk to babies.
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Caesarean section rates are at an all time high in Australia (28.8%) and the United States (30.2%). As vitamin D is crucial for proper muscle function, the researchers examined the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and caesarean section rates. Between 2005 and 2007, 253 women who gave birth in a Massachusetts hospital were found to be nearly four times more likely to have a caesarean section if their serum vitamin D levels were below 37.5nmol/L than those levels at 37.5nmol/L or greater. The authors concluded that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of caesarean section.
So, what do you think about the latest development in fertility research? Feel free to share with me your opinions – is this a positive breakthrough or is this going too far?
DHEA is a natural steroid hormone produced from cholesterol by the adrenal glands, and in the body it is converted into testosterone and estrogen. The most abundant of all steroid hormones in humans, DHEA declines as we age. The concept in regards to fertility is that androgens may augment FSH-receptor expression and stimulate granulosa cell proliferation. This could potentially increase oocyte yield, by increasing the number of follicles responding to exogenous FSH administration and by improving the quality and pregnancy potential of the retrieved oocytes. 