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The effects of maternal vitamin D on neonatal growth parameters

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Abstract

Vitamin D facilitates calcium absorption and bone building. Presence of vitamin D is highly important in pregnant women due to its effect on the development of the fetal skeleton. The study population comprised 208 low-risk pregnant women of a heterogeneous population. Maternal and fetal serum concentrations of vitamin D were measured using the Liaison 25(OH)D Assay (DiaSorin, Italy).

Conclusion: Maternal vitamin D serum concentrations correlate with neonatal vitamin D serum concentrations but do not affect neonatal weight and/or head circumference.

What is known?

• Vitamin D is known to be also involved in immunomodulation and cellular proliferation and differentiation.

• Vitamin D is highly important in pregnant women for its effect on fetal musculoskeletal and neurological development.

What is new?

• No association was detected between maternal or neonatal vitamin D concentration with neonatal growth parameters or obstetrical complications, and no association was found between maternal vitamin D serum concentrations and maternal obstetrical complication rate.

• A strong correlation was demonstrated between maternal and neonatal serum vitamin D concentrations.

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Abbreviations

CLIA:

Competitive chemiluminescence immunoassay

ng/mL:

Nanograms per milliliter

nmol/L:

Nanomoles per liter

VDR:

Vitamin D receptor

25(OH)D:

25-Hydroxyvitamin D

1,25(OH)2D:

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D

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Conflict of interest

Dana Ben-Ami Shor, Joseph Barzel, Ernest Tauber, and Howard Amital report no conflict of interest.

Author’s contributions

Dana Ben-Ami, Shor-preparation of the manuscript. Joseph Barzel, Defining concepts and aims, materialization of the study and conducting the serum samplecollection and execution of tests. Ernest Tauber, MD, Defining concepts and aims, materialization of the study design Study. Howard Amital, MD, MHA - Defining concepts and aims, materialization of the study design, preparation of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine ‘B’, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Dana Ben-Ami Shor & Howard Amital

  2. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    Dana Ben-Ami Shor & Howard Amital

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheari-Zedek, Jerusalem, Israel

    Joseph Barzel & Ernest Tauber

Authors
  1. Dana Ben-Ami Shor
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  2. Joseph Barzel
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  3. Ernest Tauber
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  4. Howard Amital
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Howard Amital.

Additional information

Communicated by Peter de Winter

Revisions received: 27 February 2015 / 01 March 2015

Dana Ben-Ami Shor, Joseph Barzel, Ernest Tauber, and Howard Amital are all Doctors of Medicine (MDs). Howard Amital is a Master of Health Administration (MHA).

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Shor, D.BA., Barzel, J., Tauber, E. et al. The effects of maternal vitamin D on neonatal growth parameters. Eur J Pediatr 174, 1169–1174 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-015-2517-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-015-2517-5

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