Vitamin D3 among neonates born after in vitro fertilization compared with neonates from the general population

Karen Christina Walker; Sofie Gry Pristed; Fanney Thorsteinsdottir; Ina Olmer Specht; Arieh Cohen; Berit Lilienthal Heitmann; Ulrik Schiøler Kesmodel

doi:10.1111/aogs.14819

Vitamin D₃ among neonates born after in vitro fertilization compared with neonates from the general population

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024 Apr 18. doi: 10.1111/aogs.14819. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Karen Christina Walker¹, Sofie Gry Pristed^{2

3}, Fanney Thorsteinsdottir^{1

4}, Ina Olmer Specht^{1

4}, Arieh Cohen⁵, Berit Lilienthal Heitmann^{1

3

6}, Ulrik Schiøler Kesmodel^{2

7}

Affiliations

¹ Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
³ Programme of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University College of Northern Denmark, Aalborg, Denmark.
⁴ The Department of Public Health, Section for General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁵ Department for Congenital Disorders, Danish Center for Neonatal Screening, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁶ The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
⁷ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.

PMID: 38637997
DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14819

Abstract

Introduction: Sufficient levels of vitamin D have been associated with higher chances for both clinical pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques, whereas low levels of maternal vitamin D have been associated with preeclampsia and late miscarriage. In Denmark, subgroups at risk for low vitamin D levels, including neonates and toddlers, are recommended to use supplementation. The aim was to study the level of vitamin D₃ among neonates born after in vitro fertilization compared with neonates from the general population.

Material and methods: In this cohort study a random sample of 1326 neonates representing the general population and 1200 neonates conceived by in vitro fertilization born in Denmark from 1995 to 2002 were identified from registries covering the whole Danish population. Information on use of assisted reproduction was collected from the Danish In Vitro Fertilization register, ICD-10 code: DZ358F. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D was measured from dried blood spots routinely collected by heel prick 48-72 h after birth and corrected according to the hematocrit fraction for capillary blood of neonates. Linear regression analysis was performed, both crude and adjusted, for predefined putative confounders, identified through directed acyclic graphs.

Results: Vitamin D₃ analysis could be performed from a total of 1105 neonates from the general population and 1072 neonates conceived by in vitro fertilization that were subsequently included in the study. The median vitamin D₃ was 24.0 nmol/L (interquartile range [IQR] 14.1-39.3) and 33.0 nmol/L (IQR 21.3-48.8) among neonates from the general population and neonates conceived by in vitro fertilization, respectively. The adjusted mean difference between neonates from the general population and those conceived by in vitro fertilization was 6.1 nmol/L (95% confidence interval 4.1-8.1).

Conclusions: In this study, children born after in vitro fertilization have a higher vitamin D₃ than a random sample of neonates in Denmark.

Keywords: in vitro fertilization; infertility; neonate; vitamin D.

Abstract

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