Asthma trial underway - 4,000 IU during pregnancy - March 2014

Updates - trial results


Randomized Trial: Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation to Prevent Childhood Asthma (VDAART)

Started 2009, Estimated Study Completion Date: June 2019
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Publication describing the trial setup

The Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART): Rationale, design, and methods of a randomized, controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy for the primary prevention of asthma and allergies in children
Augusto A. Litonjua, Nancy E. Lange, Vincent J. Carey, Stacey Brown, Nancy Laranjo, Benjamin J. Harshfield, George T. O'Connor, Megan Sandel, Robert C. Strunk, Leonard B. Bacharier, Robert S. Zeiger, Michael Schatz, Bruce W. Hollis, Scott T. Weiss
Published Online: March 07, 2014, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2014.02.006 |

There is intense interest in the role of vitamin D in the development of asthma and allergies. However, studies differ on whether a higher vitamin D intake or status in pregnancy or at birth is protective against asthma and allergies. To address this uncertainty, the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART) was developed. VDAART is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women to determine whether prenatal supplementation can prevent the development of asthma and allergies in women's offspring. A secondary aim is to determine whether vitamin D supplementation can prevent the development of pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and gestational diabetes. Women were randomized to the treatment arm of 4000 IU/day of vitamin D3 plus a daily multivitamin that contained 400 IU of vitamin D3 or the placebo arm of placebo plus a multivitamin that contained 400 IU daily of vitamin D3. Women who were between the gestational ages of 10 and 18 weeks were randomized from three clinical centers across the United States —

  • Boston Medical Center,
  • Washington University in St. Louis, and
  • Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region (San Diego, CA).

Supplementation took place throughout pregnancy. Monthly monitoring of urinary calcium to creatinine ratio was performed in addition to medical record review for adverse events. Offspring are being evaluated quarterly through questionnaires and yearly during in-person visits until the 3rd birthday of the child. Ancillary studies will investigate neonatal T-regulatory cell function, maternal vaginal flora, and maternal and child intestinal flora.


VitaminDWiki expects that this trial will be successful
Note: Dr. Hollis has given 4,000 IU of vitamin D for other succesful pregnancy trials.

See also VitaminDWiki

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