3.7X decrease in Very Low Weight Births (following huge increase in Vitamin D sales) - June 2020

Reduction in preterm births during the COVID-19 lockdown in Ireland: a natural experiment allowing analysis of data from the prior two decades - June 5

 Download the preprint from VitaminDWiki

"VLBW rate per 1000 live births for January to April, 2001-2019 was 8.18 (95% CI: 7.21, 9.29).
During January to April 2020, an unusually low VLBW rate of just 2.17 per 1000 live births was observed.
The rate ratio of 3.77 (95% CI: 1.21, 11.75), p = 0.022"

From Michael Cawley, Ireland    Personalized Vitamin D3 For MS with Michael Cawley Facebook group
"According to the owner of Sona nutritional supplier in Ireland,
   he sold a typical 6 months of D3 supplements every 7 days since March 2020.
The Government have not recommended Vitamin D3 supplementation (even in hospitals and care homes)
but everyone is ignoring their advice and taking it anyway."

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Suspect that other places around the world will also find
COVID-19 ==> want to improve immune system
==>take more vitamin D ==> improved pregnancies, asthma, etc..

Approximately 25X increased sales of Vitamin D in a 3 month time period

Imagine how much better the pregnancies would have been if the women had been taking the VItamin D for 8, 9, or 10 months

Afew relevant studies in VitaminDWiki

• Low birth weight associated low Vitamin D (little sunshine in China in this case) - Dec 2019
• Low birth weight far more likely if African-American (low vitamin D) – 1997, Aug 2018
• Vitamin D intervention reduces preterm births and low birth weight by 60 percent – Cochrane Reviews – Nov 2017
• 7X more likely to have low birth weight babies when mother very low on vitamin D – March 2010
• Low birth weight 3X more likely if mother had less than 25 nanograms of vitamin D – May 2012
• Overview Pregnancy and vitamin D has the following
  

Pregnancy category starts with

920 items in Pregnancy category

 - see also

• Overview Pregnancy and vitamin D
• Number of articles in both categories of Pregnancy and:Dark Skin 29;   Depression 21;   Diabetes 44;   Obesity 17;  Hypertension 44;   Breathing 35;  Omega-3 44;  Vitamin D Receptor 24 Click here for details
• All items in category Infant/Child 854 items
• Pregnancy needs at least 40 ng of vitamin D, achieved by at least 4,000 IU – Hollis Aug 2017
• 38+ papers with Breastfed etc, in the title
• Call to action – more Vitamin D for pregnancies, loading doses are OK – Holick Aug 2019
• 53+ preeclampsia studies
• 94+ studies with PRETERM in the title
• Fertility problem (PCOS) reduced by vitamin D, etc: many studies 15+
• 94+ Gestational Diabetes
• Caesarean birth much more likely if low Vitamin D - many studies 15+ studies
• Post-partum depression and low Vitamin D - many studies 15+ studies
• Stillbirth reduced by Vitamin D, Zinc, Omega-3 - several studies 5+ studies
• Search VitaminDWiki for "Assisted reproduction" 33 items as of Aug 2022
• Fertility and Sperm category listing has 142 items along with related searches
• (Stunting OR “low birth weight” OR LBW) 1180 items as of June 2020
• Less labor pain if higher level of vitamin D – August 2021
• Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D
• Ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby - take Vitamin D before conception
  

Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D has the following summary
Most were taking 2,000 to 7,000 IU daily for >50% of pregnancy
   Click on hyperlinks for details

Problem	Vit. D Reduces	Evidence
0. Chance of not conceiving	3.4 times	Observe
1. Miscarriage	2.5 times	Observe
2. Pre-eclampsia	3.6 times	RCT
3. Gestational Diabetes	3 times	RCT
4. Good 2nd trimester sleep quality	3.5 times	Observe
5. Premature birth	2 times	RCT
6. C-section - unplanned	1.6 times	Observe
Stillbirth - OMEGA-3	4 times	RCT - Omega-3
7. Depression AFTER pregnancy	1.4 times	RCT
8. Small for Gestational Age	1.6 times	meta-analysis
9. Infant height, weight, head size      within normal limits		RCT
10. Childhood Wheezing	1.3 times	RCT
11. Additional child is Autistic	4 times	Intervention
12.Young adult Multiple Sclerosis	1.9 times	Observe
13. Preeclampsia in young adult	3.5 times	RCT
14. Good motor skills @ age 3	1.4 times	Observe
15. Childhood Mite allergy	5 times	RCT
16. Childhood Respiratory Tract visits	2.5 times	RCT

RCT = Randomized Controlled Trial

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Subsequent reports

• 2X to 10 X reduction in rate of preemies during COVID-19 in some countries NYT July 19
  • No mention about any possible increased Vitamin D sales in Denmark, Ireland, Calgary,
• Did Lockdowns Lower Premature Births? A New Study Adds Evidence NY Times Oct 15
• https://www.ipopstudy.com/ a group of > 75 researchers trying to understand it.
  • VitaminDWiki sent them a note (Oct 15) suggesting that they look at increased Vitamin D supplementation

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