The prominence of vitamin D is the fact that we open our eyes to the life and it continues until the end of life. D vitamins are extremely important not only for our bone health, but also for our cellular activities. Therefore, mothers should give importance to the intake of vitamin D for their own health as well as their baby during their pregnancy.
-What is the necessity of vitamin D for pregnants and babies?
In order for the pregnancy to be healthy and the pregnancy period to be positive, the mother must be fed adequately. Especially the combination of vitamins and minerals to be taken will directly affect the health of the mother and the baby. For this reason most pregnant women are taking vitamin D in the form of medicine. Nutrition rich in vitamin D in pregnancy; Bone diseases such as rickets and osteomalasia (softening of bones), newborn hypocalcaemia, low birth weight baby. Likewise, it will prevent fatigue, fatigue, tooth breaks, back, muscle and joint aches in the mother and make the pregnancy period pass smoothly.
The best-known function of Vitamin D is; It is an effect on bone and calcium metabolism in the body. It improves the mineralization in the bones by increasing the absorption of calcium from the bones and intestines according to the necessity. Calcium plays a regulatory role in the initiation of the effects of many of the hormones and on blood pressure. However, recent studies have revealed many important and positive effects on vitamin D growth and development, cellular differentiation, brain development and immune system. Especially the effect of pregnancy and the importance of this period has begun to attract more attention.
-How long and how do you need to benefit from the sun during pregnancy?
Pregnants should pay attention to adequate nutrition, utilization of sunlight and exercise. A pregnant mother should walk 15-20 minutes in a sunny weather to get enough vitamin D.
Mother to be who go to summer vacation can sunbathe in the shade. Mothers working in the outdoors can get enough vitamin D.
Mothers living or working in damp, dark surroundings have to be outdoor every day for half an hour. Pregnants also have to eat foods such as cheese, ice cream, egg yolk, salmon to get vitamin D. They should continue to sports such as swimming and hiking. Despite these, vitamin D preparations can be taken if your doctor considers it appropriate.
Apart from insufficient intake with the diet and away from the sun; It is also necessary to mention the seasonal change. Seasonal conditions, other environmental factors, and physical condition affects vitamin D in pregnancy. Many studies have found lower levels of vitamin D in pregnancies birth during the winter or spring months than birth in the summer.
The regions where vitamin D deficiency is seen on the world are the Northern and Far Eastern Countries which do not take much sunlight. The easiest way to get vitamin D is to go out into the sun. It is enough that our hand, arm and face to contact the sunlight for 15 minutes a day. It needs to be done 4-6 times a week. It is necessary for the pregnant women not to be directly exposed to sunlight at times when the sun is too strong. It should also be remembered that the sunlight from behind the glass has no effect on the human body for vitamin D metabolism. There is no question of too much sunbathing and excessive intake of vitamin D, and metabolism is adjusting this.
What is the relationship between calcium and vitamin D?
An adult human body contains 1.2 kg of calcium. It constitutes about 2 percent of body aches. The vast majority of calcium is found in bone and dentition , in backward soft tissues, and a few in body fluids. 90 percent of vitamin D is derived from sunlight and 10 percent from nutrients. Vitamin D (calciferol), which is synthesized from the skin, passes through the blood, muscle and fat tissue and is stored or becomes active in the liver and kidney. It plays a role in making bone tissue with calcium.
Is the pale sun in winter months sufficient for vitamin D?
The most important factor for the sunlight to be adequate in winter months is the geographical area in which it is exposed and the period of exposure to daylight, in which the clothes and the open areas of the body are influenced by the sunlight taken.
The effects of Vitamin D deficiency on pregnant and baby
Maternal effect of low d vitamin level:
Although there are very few studies, in one study, we found that pregnancy toxemia in patients who received 400-600 IU D daily on a regular basis after the mid-term of pregnancy is less likely to have an important disease with high blood pressure in pregnancy; Although there is still a small number of studies, inadequate vitamin D intake has been shown to increase the risk of gestational diabetes.
In the absence of vitamin D, symptoms such as quick tooth decay, pain in the back and joints, pain in the groin, fatigue and weakness can be seen in the pregnancies.
In a study conducted in the USA again, cesarean rates were reported to increase due to insufficient uterine contractions in the absence of vitamin D deficiency.
An infection called bacterial vaginosis, which can cause premature birth and uterine infection, has also been reported to be seen in pregnancies with vitamin D deficiency.
Bone loss is 3-5% on average in pregnancy. The relationship between vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and maternal bone loss was not clearly demonstrated.
Fetal effect of low d vitamin level:
Considering that vitamin D has important effects on fetus, particularly bone development and differentiation of cells, it is expected that the lack of mother will have effects on fetus and newborn.
It has been shown ultrasonographically that the low level of vitamin D in the mother shows similar changes in postpartum rickets without shortening of the upper leg bones in infants.
Although the negative effects of vitamin D deficiency on fetus and newborn bone development have been shown in many studies in which bone mineral density has decreased, there have been reports of bone disorders in babies, deterioration of the normal body, bone curvatures, frequent infections after birth, prominent or depressed breasts, Deformities in the hands and feet, deformities in the head bones, rapid breakage of the bones, as well as problems such as the rapid onset of rasitism from newborn babies.
New born low birth weight and newborn hypocallemia can be seen.
Is there a relationship between rickets and inadequate vitamin D intake during pregnancy?
The most important cause of rickets in newborns and in children is inadequate vitamin D intake in the mother’s womb and in the first months of life. Rachitism is a generalized bone deformity disorder that leads to growth retardation, enlargement of the epiphyseal parts of long bones, curvature of the legs, spinal distortion, weak muscle development, and thorax disorders. In general, seizures due to calcium deficiency can be observed in infants. Babies born from mothers with vitamin D deficiency are at high risk for rickets. There has been a marked reduction in the frequency of rickets following the enrichment of milk and dairy products with vitamin D in many countries, especially in the United States.
Animal studies on birth defects have shown that Vitamin D is an effective vitamins on cell growth and differentiation in the heart and brain. provides heart muscle contraction through the Calcium metabolism. It is suggested that lack of vitamin D in pregnancies slows cardiac development in newborn.
Yet in humans, the effect of lack of maternal vitamin D on newborn heart and brain development has not been established.
Although not yet studied in humans, vitamin D has been shown to play a role in brain development and function in animal studies.
Low levels of vitamin D in the newborns, increased risk of pneumonia and other respiratory diseases. In addition, the deficiency of vitamin D affects the development of the immune system in the fetus and newborn.
In what other ways vitamin D can be taken?
Vitamin D is taken to the body in two ways. The first way is the precursor material found at the skin, transformed into another form with the effect of sunlight. After being profoundly absorbed, become active metabolite in the liver first, then in the kidney.
The other way is obtained by taking the vitamin D with nutrition and turning it into its active form in the same way. The main source of vitamin D is fatty fish. Especially the herring, salmon and tuna fish. In addition, vitamin D-enriched milk, breakfast cereals or egg yolks can also be a vitamin D source.
The active metabolite is increased in pregnancy as a result of increased production and decreased destruction. Increases the mother’s intake of calcium in the diet and provides more calcium transfer to the fetus. The most important calcium source in the fetus is calcium, which comes from the mother through increased placental transfer.