Vitamin D consumed as supplements is under debate

HYDERABAD: Prenatal micronutrient interventions during childhood have not shown a significant improvement in fetal and infant growth according to clinical trials carried out and published in the United States National Library of Medicine. 
This intervention is primarily in terms of vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women and during breast feeding.  Vitamin D supplementation is highly debated upon as it has been found that the absorption is not as expected and if given in excess, it can lead to excess of calcium in the body.

Dr Laxmi Kiran, senior gynaecologist and fetal medicine specialist explained, “Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women is highly prevalent. A few studies in India have shown the numbers to be as high as 93 percent. Despite having so much of sunlight women are not exposed to it due to the various religious beliefs. But supplementation is carried out only when there is severe deficiency. Calcium and iron supplementation is given to all pregnant women as they are deficient.” The supplementation was found not to work in the clinical trials that have been carried out showing how the deficiency continued to exist despite the medication.

The absorption of vitamin D is by sunlight, food and fortification.  Research has shown that darker skin tones do not synthesise vitamin D as effectively as lighter ones. In pregnant mothers, reading below 20ng/ml indicates a vitamin D deficiency. Dr Preeti Reddy, senior gynaecologist explained, “Breast milk has less of vitamin D. If the mother is already deficient with vitamin D then the breast milk will have even lesser. But it has been found that after three months when the infant is put on formula feed it has vitamin D supplementation and that helps the child to grow.” 

“In pregnant women in India, vitamin D supplementation has helped to control the risk of birth complications and child growth,” she added.  “It has been found that the mechanism of absorption of the body is important as how much it can take from natural sources and supplementation. The cases where the absorption is not up to the required level, are very few according to our  clinical evaluations,” Dr Preeti Reddy further explained.