The importance of vitamin D in pregnancy

Let's find out why the correct intake of vitamin D during pregnancy is so important, both for the health of the mother and the unborn child.

Vitamin D in pregnancy: the importance and consequences of the deficiency

Vitamin D is very important for the absorption of calcium and, consequently, for bone health : in pregnancy it therefore assumes a fundamental role for the skeletal apparatus in formation.

According to the indications of the Italian Pediatric Society, vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can alter the normal mechanism of conservation of the mother's bones and hinder the correct formation of the skeleton of the developing fetus .

It can also have negative effects on the child's teeth ; according to the results of a 2014 Canadian study, children born of vitamin D deficient mothers would be more likely to develop tooth decay .

There are also researches according to which a correct intake of vitamin D during pregnancy would be able to protect against some characteristic disorders of the gestational period such as diabetes and preeclampsia, but also low birth weight and preterm birth .

In reality, however, on these aspects the results of the studies cannot be considered definitive and new research will be needed to better understand the possible role of vitamin D on these issues.

Vitamin D in disease prevention

How to avoid vitamin deficiency during pregnancy?

The main source of vitamin D is not food: in fact, although it is called vitamin D, it is actually also a hormone. In part we can take it with the diet but above all we produce it when we expose ourselves to the rays of the sun.

When we expose the skin to the sun, the body produces vitamin D which is then used by the organs and apparatus to perform its functions.

To guarantee the necessary vitamin D to the body it is sufficient to expose yourself for about 10-15 minutes a day ; in pregnancy, however, it is particularly important to protect yourself adequately; exposure, in fact, must never take place during the hottest hours of the day.

Moreover, even when you simply go for a walk on a beautiful sunny day, it is advisable to protect your face skin with a cream with high sun protection to prevent the formation of dark spots on the face, the so-called melasma gravidico.

As regards, instead, the food sources of vitamin D:

Vitamin D2, of vegetable origin, is found mainly in yeasts, in some fungi and in some algae.
Vitamin D3, of animal origin, is found mainly in cow's milk and its derivatives, in egg yolk, in cod liver oil and in some particularly fatty fish.

Is it advisable to take vitamin D supplements during pregnancy?

Usually, pregnant women are prescribed multivitamin supplements that also contain vitamin D: in fact, during the nine months of gestation, the woman needs a greater quantity of nutrients, which she needs to preserve her health and that of the fetus.

Of course, however, supplements do not replace good habits, but go, as the name implies, to supplement them.

Consequently, being outdoors and at least exposing your arms and face to the sun for about fifteen minutes a day can only do well, taking, of course, all the necessary precautions.