Effectiveness of Vitamin D supplementation in combination with calcium on risk of maternal and neonatal outcomes: A quasi-experimental clinical trial

Deldar Morad Abdulah; Jinan Nori Hasan; Sheelan Bapir Hasan

doi:10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_184_23

Effectiveness of Vitamin D supplementation in combination with calcium on risk of maternal and neonatal outcomes: A quasi-experimental clinical trial

Tzu Chi Med J. 2023 Oct 31;36(2):175-187. doi: 10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_184_23. eCollection 2024 Apr-Jun.

Authors

Deldar Morad Abdulah¹, Jinan Nori Hasan², Sheelan Bapir Hasan³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Community and Maternity Health Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Duhok, Kurdistan, Duhok, Iraq.
² Public Health Department, College of Health and Medical Technology/Shekhan, Duhok Polytechnic University, Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
³ Duhok Maternity Hospital, Duhok General Directorate of Health, Kurdistan, Iraq.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined the effectiveness of combining Vitamin D supplementation with calcium on maternal and neonatal outcomes, as opposed to using Vitamin D supplements alone.

Materials and methods: Pregnant women in their third trimester were divided into two groups. The control group received a daily dose of 1000 IU of Vitamin D, but, the experimental group received a combined daily dosage of 1000 IU of Vitamin D and 500 mg of calcium, until delivery.

Results: The women in the Vitamin D + calcium group were less likely to develop gestational diabetes (2.78%; vs. 19.51%; P = 0.0318), preeclampsia (2.78% vs. 26.83%; P = 0.004), newly onset gestational hypertension (11.11% vs. 46.34%; P = 0.001), proteinuria (5.56% vs. 39.02%; P = 0.0004), and impaired glucose tolerance (2.78% vs. 21.95%; P = 0.0163) and had lower blood pressure at 20^th and 39^th weeks of gestation. The newborns in the Vitamin D + calcium group were less likely to experience low birth weight (5.71% vs. 31.58%; P = 0.0066), low birth length (5.71% vs. 44.74%; P = 0.0007), were less likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (14.29% vs. 42.11%; P = 0.0105), have a larger head circumference (35.00 vs. 33.63; P < 0.0001), longer gestational age at birth (40.0 vs. 37.56 weeks; P < 0.0001), and higher APGAR scores (9.58 vs. 6.31; P < 0.0001.) compared to Vitamin D group, respectively.

Conclusions: Taking Vitamin D and calcium by pregnant women in the third trimester is an effective treatment to decrease maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes.

Keywords: Birth weight; Dietary supplements; Preeclampsia; Preterm birth; Preterm labor.