Abstract Introduction: Studies in the 2000s in India showed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in apparently healthy pregnant women and their newborns. With awareness about sunshine exposure and vitamin D supplementation, vitamin D deficiency would have declined over the last two decades. We assessed current vitamin D status of maternal-newborn dyads at a teaching institute in Delhi. Methods: The study included 104 pregnant women (27.8 ± 4.2 yrs) and their singleton healthy term newborns (M: F = 63:41) delivered at HIMSR Delhi during years 2023-25. Cord-blood was drawn at delivery, and fasting maternal blood was drawn for serum total calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, 25(OH)D, and intact-PTH assessment. Serum 25(OH)D and PTH were measured by chemiluminescence assay. Results: The median (IQR) serum 25(OH)D of mothers and newborns was 11.8 (6.9-19.1) and 13.7 (7.9-24.7) ng/mL, respectively. Serum 25(OH) was <12 ng/mL in 51% of mothers and 44% of newborns. Maternal and cord-blood 25(OH)D correlated significantly ( r = 0.945, P < 0.001). Maternal serum 25(OH)D correlated inversely with iPTH ( r = –0.400, P < 0.01). Maternal and cord-blood iPTH showed no significant correlation. Serum calcium (9.1 ± 1.2 vs. 10.9 ± 1.1 mg/dL, P < 0.001) and phosphate (4.4 ± 0.9 vs. 6.2 ± 1.1 mg/dL, P < 0.001), were lower in mothers than newborns unlike alkaline phosphatase (200 ± 77 vs. 138 ± 39 IU/L, P < 0.001) which was higher in mothers. Serum phosphate was significantly lower in male than female newborns, while 25(OH)D and total calcium were comparable. Conclusion: A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in mothers and newborns was observed, despite two decades of awareness. This emphasizes for more targeted and proactive public health initiatives to combat maternal and neonatal hypovitaminosis D.
Goswami et al. (Thu,) studied this question.