Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnant Women: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Cristófalo MM, de Almeida Garcia JO, Aldrighi JFS, Cristófalo RM, França MLM, Luzia LA, Vasconcelos SP, Aldrighi JM
Nutrition reviews · 5 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2025-07-17 · Nutr Rev · vol. 84 · issue 3 · pp. 600–614
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Cited
- 5 citations · more than 82% of similar papers · 1.6× the field average
- References
- 134 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Vitamin D Research Studies · Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies · Iron Metabolism and Disorders
- Keywords
- vitamin D deficiency, Vitamin D and neurology, Pregnancy, Vitamin deficiency, MEDLINE
- MeSH
- humans, pregnancy complications, vitamin d deficiency, vitamin d, prevalence, pregnancy, pregnancy trimesters, female
8 authors
From BR
- Milena Martello CristófaloUniversidade de São Paulo
- José Manuel Hernández GarcíaHospital Israelita Albert Einstein
- JM AldrighiUniversidade de São Paulo; Universidade Cidade de São Paulo
- Renan Martello CristófaloUniversidade de São Paulo
- Maria Laura Marconi FrançaUniversidade de São Paulo
- Liania Alves LuziaUniversidade de São Paulo
Abstract
Context
Vitamin D is an essential steroid prehormone whose effects have garnered significant interest during pregnancy and lactation. Adequate vitamin D levels are crucial for embryonic implantation, immune modulation, and preventing adverse maternal outcomes such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth.
Objectives
To estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in each trimester of pregnancy.
Data sources
This is a systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Online databases were searched from inception to July 2023, including Medline/PubMed, Embase, and LILACS.
Data extraction
All English, Spanish, and Portuguese articles that specified the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in each of the 3 trimesters of pregnancy were included. All screening and data extraction were performed independently by 2 authors. Risk-of-bias assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
Data analysis
A total of 2627 articles were retrieved, and after evaluating eligibility criteria, 116 full-text articles were included. These comprised observational studies, totaling 127 290 pregnant women who underwent serum 25(OH)D evaluation. Vitamin D deficiency is a common condition among pregnant women. The meta-analysis revealed that 68% (95% CI, 60%-76%) of pregnant women had 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL in the first trimester, 81% (95% CI, 74%-87%) in the second trimester, and 70% (95% CI, 64%-75%) in the third trimester, indicating a widespread deficiency of this vitamin.
Conclusion
A thorough analysis of the studies included in this review shows that hypovitaminosis D during pregnancy is a highly prevalent condition that occurs in all 3 trimesters. Given this high prevalence, these findings may be valuable for planning public health policies aimed at pregnant women.
Systematic review registration
PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022343256.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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