Vitamin D status of pregnant women in Shanghai, China

Objective. The aims of this study were to identify the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in pregnant women in Shanghai, China and to determine the correlations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and age, serum lipids, renal function, BMI, gestational weeks, and season of sampling. Methods. A total of 1695 pregnant women who visited the outpatient clinic for their first prenatal examination were included in the study. Results. Over 90.5% of these women had less than optimal levels of 25(OH)D. Of the 1695 women, 1162 were deficient, 372 were insufficient, only 372 were sufficient, and 5 had possible hypervitaminosis. 25(OH)D levels were negatively correlated with age, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), gestational age, body weight, and BMI. They were positively correlated with urea levels. Neither parity nor season was a significant factor. Conclusions. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were common in pregnant Chinese women and routine screening as well as prophylactic measures should be considered.