Vitamin D Supplementation and the Effects on Glucose Metabolism During Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Diabetes Care. 2014 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print]
Yap C1, Cheung NW, Gunton JE, Athayde N, Munns CF, Duke A, McLean M.
Diabetes and Endocrinology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and neonatal vitamin D deficiency. We conducted a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of low-dose (LD) versus high-dose (HD) vitamin D supplementation to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on glucose metabolism during pregnancy.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Women with plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels <32 ng/mL before 20 weeks' gestation were randomized to oral vitamin D3 at 5,000 IU daily (HD) (n = 89) or the recommended pregnancy dose of 400 IU daily (LD) (n = 90) until delivery. The primary end point was maternal glucose levels on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 26-28 weeks' gestation. Secondary end points included neonatal 25OHD, obstetric and other neonatal outcomes, and maternal homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. Analysis was by intention to treat.
RESULTS: There was no difference in maternal glucose levels on OGTT. Twelve LD women (13%) developed GDM versus seven (8%) HD women (P = 0·25). Neonatal cord 25OHD was higher in HD offspring (46 ± 11 vs. 29 ± 12 ng/mL, P < 0.001), and deficiency was more common in LD offspring (24 vs. 10%, P = 0.06). Post hoc analysis in LD women showed an inverse relationship between pretreatment 25OHD and both fasting and 2-h blood glucose level on OGTT (both P < 0·001). Baseline 25OHD remained an independent predictor after multiple regression analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: HD vitamin D supplementation commencing at a mean of 14 weeks' gestation does not improve glucose levels in pregnancy. However, in women with baseline levels <32 ng/mL, 5,000 IU per day was well tolerated and highly effective at preventing neonatal vitamin D deficiency.
PMID: 24760259
Publisher charges $25 for the PDF
Summary by VitaminDWiki
| Daily Vitamin D | Gestational Diabetes | offspring Vitamin D | |||
| 5,000 IU | 8% | 46 ng | |||
| 400 IU | 13% | 29 ng | |||
VitaminDWiki is confused.
It appears that vitamin D intervention reduced Gestational Diabetes by 40%
Yet the study, just looking at oral glucose tolerance test results, says that vitamin D did not help
VitaminDWiki comment: study would probably have been successful if they had done any of the following
- Loading dose to eliminate months while the body restocked vitamin D levels
- Higher dose of vitamin D: 5,000 IU is just barely enough for pregnant women without diabetes.
- Dose for longer period of time
See also VitaminDWiki
- gestational diabetes" 180 items as of April 2014
- Pregnancy category listing with associated searches
- Gestational Diabetes reduced with 50,000 IU of vitamin D every 3 weeks and daily Calcium – RCT June 2014
- Gestational diabetes 60 percent more likely below 20 ng of vitamin D – meta-analysis Feb 2012
- Gestational Diabetes mostly treated with just 2 doses of 50,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Dec 2013
- 300,000 IU injection loading dose of vitamin D3 stopped gestational diabetes in RCT – Oct 2011
- Pages listed in BOTH the categories Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Gestational Diabetes best fought by Vitamin D plus probiotics – RCT review Dec 2023
- Diabetes 30% more likely in those with low birth weight - June 2023
- Gestational Diabetes Mellitus 10X more-likely if low vitamin D in first trimester – July 2022
- Gestational Diabetes 2.1 X more likely if less than 30 ng of Vitamin D - July 2022
- Gestational diabetes risk reduced 1.5X by Vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2021
- Gestational Diabetes – increased risk if poor Vitamin D Receptor – 2 Meta-Analyses 2021
- Gestational Diabetes 2.4X more likely if poor Vitamin D Receptor (region in China) – June 2019
- Vitamin D food fortification during pregnancy reduced gestational diabetes in daughters by 13 percent – Nov 2018
- Gestational Diabetes 3 X more likely if poor Vitamin D receptor (Turkey) – May 2019
- Type 1 Diabetes risk increased if high postpartum Vitamin D binding protein – Jan 2019
- Vitamin D treats Gestational Diabetes, decreases hospitalization and newborn complications – meta-analysis March 2019
- Maternal Diabetes and Risk of Autism in Offspring – JAMA June 2018
- Gestational Diabetes 39 percent more likely if insufficient Vitamin D – Meta-analysis March 2018
- Gestational Diabetes 1.9 X more likely if low vitamin D – review Dec 2017
- Congenital Heart Disease is associated with gestational diabetes in first trimester (need Vitamin D and Omega-3 early) Dec 2017
- Gestational Diabetes Mellitus associated with 4 Vitamin D genes – Oct 2015
- Gestational diabetes 30 percent less likely if consumed more than 400 IU of vitamin D daily – Oct 2017
- Low vitamin D plus gestational diabetes resulted in increased ICU use, SGA – Oct 2016
- Gestational diabetes treated by Vitamin D plus Omega-3 – RCT Feb 2017
- Gestational Diabetes reduce 3 times by 5,000 IU of Vitamin D – RCT Jan 2016
- Gestational Diabetes treated with 50,000 IU every two weeks – RCT Sept 2016
- Low vitamin D in pregnancy – epigenetic pancreas problems in offspring (mice) – May 2016
- MAGNESIUM IN MAN - IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH AND DISEASE – review 2015
- Gestational Diabetes 3.7 X more likely if smoke and have low vitamin D (no surprise) – Feb 2016
- Gestational Diabetes helped by Vitamin D and Calcium (also less C-section and LGA) – RCT Jan 2016
- T1 Diabetes in child not prevented by a tiny amount of vitamin D during pregnancy – Nov 2015
- Gestational Diabetes Mellitus 1.5X more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis Oct 2015
- Gestational Diabetes increasing, especially in dark skinned women (low vitamin D) - 2007
- Increased Gestational Diabetes and poorer infant health associated with low vitamin D – June 2015
- Gestational Diabetes in 10 percent of pregnancies, vitamin D probably helps – Jan 2014
- Gestational diabetes – Vitamin D and Calcium provided huge benefits – RCT March 2015
- Gestational diabetes reduced by just two 50,000 IU doses of vitamin D – RCT Nov 2014
- Gestational Diabetes reduced with 50,000 IU of vitamin D every 3 weeks and daily Calcium – RCT June 2014
- Gestational Diabetes reduced 40 percent by 5,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT April 2014
- Insulin resistance during pregnancy improved with 50,000 IU of vitamin D every 2 weeks – RCT April 2013
- Will 1600 IU vitamin D prevent gestational diabetes – no, not enough, July 2013
- Vitamin D protects against many types of health problems – review May 2013
- Dr. Holick video on vitamin D - March 2013
- Gestational diabetes 2.2X more likely below 10 ng of vitamin D – June 2012
- Gestational diabetes 60 percent more likely below 20 ng of vitamin D – meta-analysis Feb 2012
- Type I diabetes 2X more likely if mother had low vitamin D – Jan 2012
- 300,000 IU injection loading dose of vitamin D3 stopped gestational diabetes in RCT – Oct 2011
- Less muscle and insulin resistance for children of vitamin D deficient mothers – Jan 2011
- Vitamin D Levels at Birth May Predict Obesity Risk at age 3 - Oct 2010
- Overview Pregnancy and vitamin D has the following summary
| IU | Cumulative Benefit | Blood level | Cofactors | Calcium | $*/month |
| 200 | Better bones for mom with 600 mg of Calcium | 6 ng/ml increase | Not needed | No effect | $0.10 |
| 400 | Less Rickets (but not zero with 400 IU) 3X less adolescent Schizophrenia Fewer child seizures | 20-30 ng/ml | Not needed | No effect | $0.20 |
| 2000 | 2X More likely to get pregnant naturally/IVF 2X Fewer dental problems with pregnancy 8X less diabetes 4X fewer C-sections (>37 ng) 4X less preeclampsia (40 ng vs 10 ng) 5X less child asthma 2X fewer language problems age 5 | 42 ng/ml | Desirable | < 750 mg | $1 |
| 4000 | 2X fewer pregnancy complications 2X fewer pre-term births | 49 ng/ml | Should have cofactors | < 750 mg | $3 |
| 6000 | Probable: larger benefits for above items Just enough D for breastfed infant More maternal and infant weight | Should have cofactors | < 750 mg | $4 |
See also web
- Lowering Diabetes Risk After Pregnancy NYT March 2015
9% of pregnant women have gestational diabetes
about half these women will develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. (no mention of vitamin D)