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.
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In the 3rd phase of an international survey on delivery and maternal & perinatal outcomes conducted by WHO, results have concluded that caesareans should only be done when medically indicated. Almost 50% of babies in China are born via caesarean and overall, 1 in 4 women underwent caesarean.
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.
Three years ago Dr. Michael Odent, a world renowned leader in the field of obstetrics, stated that “human health is shaped to a great extent during intrauterine life and prenatal pollution is a threat for the health of future generations”. Such an accumulation of research demonstrates that there are enormous implications in terms of public health – nothing is more important today than the health and wellbeing of pregnant women. We need to address the importance of nutrition before the conception of the baby, as a way to prepare the intrauterine environment.
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. 
The Centre for Human Reproduction and a leading Toronto Fertility Centre has reported preliminary clinical data that suggests DHEA reduces miscarriage rates in older women with diminished ovarian reserve. DHEA supplementation may reduce the number of chromosomally abnormal embryos (aneuploidy) due to the following factors:
Tonight I came home after a 12 hour day and then a 2 hour drive home (dont ask!) to flop on the couch and wonder what was for dinner. I really couldn’t be bothered cooking and I hadn’t organised anything in advance - a cup of tea was looking like a great option. Then I remembered my version of “Fast Food” and started to get hungry. So, I dragged my tired butt into the kitchen and made my trusty emergency dish.
Acupuncture and exercise may help women better handle the symptoms and risks that come with hormone imbalances caused by certain ovarian cysts, Swedish researchers report. I refer patients to an acupuncturist for many fertility issues and see wonderful results with this supportive therapy.