Newborn bone mineral density and health care during pregnancy

Abstract:

To study the effects of calcium and vitamin D supplements on bone mineral density (BMD) of perinatal women and their newborns, a follow-up study was performed to examine the BMD of 110 normal pregnant women from mid- to late-term pregnancy to delivery and of their 110 newborns and 30 preterm newborns. BMD was examined using single-photon absorptiometry. In the first experiment, 31 women took a supplement of 0.3 g calcium lactate plus 400 IU vitamin D per day, while 79 received no supplement during their pregnancy. The results showed that the radial BMD of mothers who took calcium lactate during their pregnancy and the tibial BMD of their newborns were significantly higher than those when no supplement of calcium was taken. In the second experiment, it was found that the BMD of preterm newborns was significantly lower than that of normal newborns. This study suggested that advocating pregnancy hygiene, giving a proper dosage of calcium and vitamin D, and improving nutrition during pregnancy can prevent osteoporosis in women and benefit newborn development. It is also shown that a quantitative assessment of BMD might prove useful in the follow-up of newborn and infant development..