Abstract
BACKGROUND: Risk factors for maternal Vitamin D deficiency and preterm birth are convergence, but the distribution of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) Vitamin D) levels among preterm infants is not known. We aimed to assess the association of 25(OH) Vitamin D levels in mothers with term and preterm delivery with their neonates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 62 mothers with spontaneous preterm delivery and their neonates as the case group and 124 mothers with term delivery and their neonates as the control group. From mothers and neonate's umbilical cord at birth, 10 cc blood was taken and immediately sent to the laboratory for measuring Vitamin D levels. Pearson correlation, independent samples t-test, and kappa concordance coefficient were used for data analysis. RESULTS: In the term group, 102 cases (82.3%) had Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency and 22 cases (17.7%) had normal Vitamin D level while in the preterm group, 56 cases (90.3%) had Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, and 6 cases (9.7%) had normal Vitamin D level (P > 0.05). The correlation between maternal and neonatal 25(OH) Vitamin D levels in the term and preterm group was statistically significant (term group: r = 0.874, P < 0.001 and preterm group: r = 0.733, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study did not show a significant difference between two groups in terms of Vitamin D status both in mothers and neonates while the significant association was found between Vitamin D levels of mothers and neonates in both groups. These findings confirmed the previous studies' findings that Vitamin D levels in neonates could be predicted from their mothers. As a result, successful Vitamin D and calcium supplementation for improving 25(OH) Vitamin D levels in the maternal and neonatal populations for protecting the harmful effects of Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency are recommended.