PREDIN - Pregnancy and Vitamin D supplementation - a randomized controlled study
Short description
Vitamin D is important for our bone health and is one of the few vitamins we risk not getting enough of. Among pregnant women in Sweden, vitamin D deficiency occurs in about one in ten. It is not entirely clear how much vitamin D is required to correct a deficiency during pregnancy. The aim of PREDIN is to investigate the dose required to achieve sufficient vitamin D levels in the body in pregnant women at risk of vitamin D deficiency and to examine whether vitamin D levels improve more by receiving a vitamin D supplement compared to only receiving a recommendation for supplementation.
Background
Vitamin D has many functions in the body but is primarily important for our bone health. We get vitamin D in two ways, from what we eat and from the sun. In Sweden, most milk products, plant drinks, sandwich fats, and fat blends are fortified with vitamin D because there are few foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D. Vitamin D supplements are recommended for small children, the elderly, and people who do not eat fish and/or vitamin D-fortified foods or have limited sun exposure. Currently, there are no specific recommendations for vitamin D supplementation for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
About the research project
The PREDIN trial is an ongoing randomized controlled study where women during a routine visit to their midwifery clinic early in pregnancy are screened for risk of vitamin D deficiency. The screening is performed using a validated screening tool consisting of five short questions about sun exposure and vitamin D intake. Women at risk for vitamin D deficiency are randomized to receive advice on taking vitamin D supplements (standard routine) or to receive supplementation with either 20 µg or 40 µg of vitamin D per day. In the first and third trimesters, blood samples are drawn for analysis of vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin-D) and other markers that are significant for the vitamin D levels in the body.