Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1984 Apr;37(4):444–447. doi: 10.1136/jcp.37.4.444

Vitamin D nutrition in pregnant women at term and in newly born babies in Saudi Arabia.

F Serenius, A T Elidrissy, P Dandona
PMCID: PMC498748  PMID: 6608533

Abstract

A survey to assess the vitamin D nutritional state in 119 pregnant women at term and in their newborns was undertaken in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-(OH)D) were below 4 ng/ml in 30 of 119 maternal sera, in 11 of which they were undetectable. The median concentration of 25-(OH)D was 5.7 ng/ml, which is comparable to that found in Asian vegetarian women at term in London. Fifty of 119 cord samples had undetectable 25-(OH)D, and a total of 81 samples had 25-(OH)D concentrations of less than 4 ng/ml. Despite the low 25-(OH)D concentrations cord bloods had calcium concentrations higher than those in maternal blood, while serum albumin concentration was similar in maternal and cord samples. Higher socioeconomic background of women, antenatal care, and vitamin D supplementation were associated with significantly higher concentrations of 25-(OH)D. Vitamin D supplementation, however, had no significant effect on 25-(OH)D concentration in cord samples or on the weight of the newborns. This study shows the high prevalence of marginal vitamin D nutrition in women in Saudi Arabia, which may predispose babies to rickets during infancy. In a country endowed with plentiful sunshine, the exclusion of sunshine by thick dark veils and bad housing probably contribute to this marginal state of vitamin D nutrition.

Full text

PDF
444

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bouillon R., Van Assche F. A., Van Baelen H., Heyns W., De Moor P. Influence of the vitamin D-binding protein on the serum concentration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Significance of the free 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 concentration. J Clin Invest. 1981 Mar;67(3):589–596. doi: 10.1172/JCI110072. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cockburn F., Belton N. R., Purvis R. J., Giles M. M., Brown J. K., Turner T. L., Wilkinson E. M., Forfar J. O., Barrie W. J., McKay G. S. Maternal vitamin D intake and mineral metabolism in mothers and their newborn infants. Br Med J. 1980 Jul 5;281(6232):11–14. doi: 10.1136/bmj.281.6232.11. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DUNNIGAN M. G., PATON J. P., HAASE S., McNICOL G. W., GARDNER M. D., SMITH C. M. Late rickets and osteomalacia in the Pakistani community in Glasgow. Scott Med J. 1962 Apr;7:159–167. doi: 10.1177/003693306200700402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dent C. E., Gupta M. M. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin-D-levels during pregnancy in Caucasians and in vegetarian and non-vegetarian Asians. Lancet. 1975 Nov 29;2(7944):1057–1060. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(75)90430-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dent C. E., Round J. M., Rowe D. J., Stamp T. C. Effect of chapattis and ultraviolet irradiation on nutritional rickets in an Indian immigrant. Lancet. 1973 Jun 9;1(7815):1282–1284. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)91296-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Felton D. J., Stone W. D. Osteomalacia in asian immigrants during pregnancy. Br Med J. 1966 Jun 18;1(5502):1521–1522. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5502.1502-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gupta M. M., Round J. M., Stamp T. C. Spontaneous cure of vitamin-D deficiency in Asians during summer in Britain. Lancet. 1974 Apr 6;1(7858):586–588. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)92648-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Haddad J. G., Jr, Walgate J. Radioimmunoassay of the binding protein for vitamin D and its metabolites in human serum: concentrations in normal subjects and patients with disorders of mineral homeostasis. J Clin Invest. 1976 Nov;58(5):1217–1222. doi: 10.1172/JCI108575. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Heckmatt J. Z., Peacock M., Davies A. E., McMurray J., Isherwood D. M. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D in pregnant Asian women and their babies. Lancet. 1979 Sep 15;2(8142):546–548. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)91612-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hillman L. S., Slatopolsky E., Haddad J. G. Perinatal vitamin D metabolism. IV. Maternal and cord serum 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1978 Nov;47(5):1073–1077. doi: 10.1210/jcem-47-5-1073. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Holick M. F., MacLaughlin J. A., Clark M. B., Holick S. A., Potts J. T., Jr, Anderson R. R., Blank I. H., Parrish J. A., Elias P. Photosynthesis of previtamin D3 in human skin and the physiologic consequences. Science. 1980 Oct 10;210(4466):203–205. doi: 10.1126/science.6251551. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Preece M. A., O'Riordan J. L., Lawson D. E., Kodicek E. A competitive protein-binding assay for 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and 25-hydroxyergocalciferol in serum. Clin Chim Acta. 1974 Jul 31;54(2):235–242. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(74)90241-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rubio C. A., Thomassen P. A critical evaluation of the Schiller test in patients before conization. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 May 1;125(1):96–99. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(76)90900-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Steichen J. J., Tsang R. C., Gratton T. L., Hamstra A., DeLuca H. F. Vitamin D homeostasis in the perinatal period: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in maternal, cord, and neonatal blood. N Engl J Med. 1980 Feb 7;302(6):315–319. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198002073020603. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Stephens W. P., Klimiuk P. S., Berry J. L., Mawer E. B. Annual high-dose vitamin D prophylaxis in Asian immigrants. Lancet. 1981 Nov 28;2(8257):1199–1202. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(81)91439-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Weisman Y., Harell A., Edelstein S., David M., Spirer Z., Golander A. 1 alpha, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in vitro synthesis by human decidua and placenta. Nature. 1979 Sep 27;281(5729):317–319. doi: 10.1038/281317a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES