The effects of Vitamin D during pregnancy
THREAT TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. WE START AT FIVE ON YOUR HEALTH TONIGHT AND TAKING HIGH DOSES OF VITAMIN D DURING PREGNANCY. A NEW STUDY FINDS THAT IT MAY BOOST THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BABY’S BRAIN. SO HERE TO EXPLAIN IS DOCTOR DIANA. COLETTE, A SPECIALIST IN MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. DOCTOR, IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US. THANK YOU. SO DOCTOR I’M SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. ALL RIGHT. WELL LET’S START WITH VITAMIN D. WE KNOW IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR BONES AND YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER BENEFITS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN. CORRECT? YES, ABSOLUTELY. SO SIMILARLY TO OUTSIDE OF PREGNANCY, VITAMIN D HAS THOSE SAME BENEFITS DURING PREGNANCY. IT HELPS BOOST BONE HEALTH, SUPPORTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. AND NOW WITH THIS NEW STUDY AND OTHER STUDIES PRIOR TO THIS ONE, THERE IS EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT IT MAY HELP IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION OF OUR CHILDREN. SO. SO LET’S DRILL DOWN ON THAT A BIT. DOCTOR, YOU’VE READ THIS NEW STUDY AND LOOKING AT WOMEN WHO TOOK HIGH DOSES OF VITAMIN D WHILE THEY WERE PREGNANT. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS A HIGH DOSE? AND SECOND OF ALL, WHAT DID IT FIND? YEAH. GREAT QUESTION. SO FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, THE TYPICAL PRENATAL VITAMIN HAS 400 INTERNATIONAL UNITS. THAT’S KIND OF THE TYPICAL DOSE THAT YOU’D SEE OVER THE COUNTER. AND IN THE STUDY THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT, THE HIGH DOSE WAS 2400 INTERNATIONAL UNITS, SO SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THE TYPICAL PRENATAL VITAMIN. AND SO WHAT THE STUDY FOUND, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IS WHAT THEY DID IS THEY RANDOMIZED PATIENTS TO THIS HIGH DOSE VERSUS THE STANDARD DOSE DURING THE PREGNANCY. AND THEN TEN YEARS LATER, THEY TESTED THEIR CHILDREN TO FOR SOME DIFFERENT COGNITIVE BATTERY OF TESTS, LOOKING AT VISUAL MEMORY AND THE ABILITY TO GO FROM PERFORMING ONE TASK TO THE NEXT. AND THEY FOUND THAT THE CHILDREN THAT WERE EXPOSED TO THE HIGHER DOSE OF VITAMIN D ACTUALLY PERFORMED A LITTLE BIT BETTER ON THESE TESTS. SO, SO JUST JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THAT’S LIKE ALMOST SIX TIMES MORE. THAT DID NOT AFFECT THE MOTHER, RIGHT? THAT DIDN’T AFFECT THE, THE CARRY THE HUMAN, THE MOTHER. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO, YOU KNOW, VITAMIN D IS A VERY IMPORTANT VITAMIN, LIKE WE SAID, BUT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN AT CERTAIN LEVELS. TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING CAN BE DANGEROUS AND TOO MUCH OF VITAMIN D CAN CERTAINLY CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS BOTH DURING PREGNANCY AND OUTSIDE OF PREGNANCY. 2400 IUS IS HIGHER THAN THE TYPICAL RECOMMENDED AMOUNT, EVEN FOR THOSE THAT ARE KNOWN TO BE DEFICIENT. ALL RIGHT. AND WITH THAT SAID, WILL THESE RESULTS CHANGE WHAT YOU RECOMMEND TO YOUR PATIENTS? NOT YET. SO YOU KNOW THIS EVIDENCE CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTES TO A HUGE BODY OF EVIDENCE THAT SAYS NUTRITION IS IMPORTANT IN PREGNANCY. AND VITAMIN D IS IMPORTANT IN, YOU KNOW, THE CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT. BUT RIGHT NOW, THIS ONE PIECE OF EVIDENCE SHOULD NOT CHANGE OUR WHOLE BODY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY SINGLE PATIENT. YOU SHOULD REALLY JUST DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR DOCTOR T
A new study suggests that taking high doses of Vitamin D during pregnancy may improve brain development in babies.Dr. Diana Kolettis, a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine at Tufts Medical Center, discusses the advantages Vitamin D can offer for pregnant women beyond benefits to the bones and immune system.She did say that not all pregnancies are created equal and patients should discuss with their doctors before taking a high dose of the vitamin.
NEEDHAM, Mass. —
A new study suggests that taking high doses of Vitamin D during pregnancy may improve brain development in babies.
Dr. Diana Kolettis, a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine at Tufts Medical Center, discusses the advantages Vitamin D can offer for pregnant women beyond benefits to the bones and immune system.
She did say that not all pregnancies are created equal and patients should discuss with their doctors before taking a high dose of the vitamin.