Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy | pregnancy and vitamin D
Pregnancy is the time period in a women's life where she needs every vital vitamins and other nutrients in more quantity. Vitamin D is a vital nutrient during pregnancy. Women can't get enough vitamin D from her diet only so pregnant women get vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy.
Vitamin D is a fat soluble and important for baby and mother both. Vitamin D is associate with calcium production. Calcium is main part for bone and vitamin D is related with bone metabolism. Vitamin D is produced by body when skin exposes to sunlight.
Bones and skeleton are highly dependent on calcium. Vitamin d deficiency during pregnancy are most common in pregnant women. Vitamin D is more important than any other vitamins and nutrients. If pregnant women can't get enough vitamin D during pregnancy then they can get metabolism diseases. Vitamin D deficiency also seen in breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding mothers should take extra vitamin D supplements to complete the need of calcium of baby and herself. If baby will not getting enough calcium through mother's milk then baby may get vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D is necessary more in the second half of the pregnancy or from the second trimester . From second trimester baby's bones are starting to develop and baby needs calcium for the bone development. And also the teeth development of baby requires calcium, which passes through placenta to the fetus. Baby totally depends on the mother for the vitamin D.
Vitamin D absorbs calcium and phosphorus into the body women after delivery also need vitamin D. If lactating to the baby then woman should take vitamin D supplements till the end of breastfeeding
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy:
Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy have not special symptoms. Some symptoms which can be noticed if intense vitamin D deficiency in the body are:
Bone pain
Softend bone
Weakness
Effects of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy:
Vitamin D deficiency can cause abnormal bone growth in the baby.
Rickets in the baby ( rickets is a disease in children in which bones get soft and weak.)
Low birth weight of baby.
Immune system diseases in the baby in future.
Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can cause Cesarean delivery.
Vitamin D deficiency also causes cancer.
Source of vitamin D:
One can not get enough vitamin D only from her diet. Main source of vitamin D is the sunlight. Exposure to sunlight get vitamin D but pregnant women should not go to the sunlight too much. Food which have vitamin D are fish, salmon, tuna, canned tuna, milk, cheese, eggs, kiwis, citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, grape fruit, etc. Another main source of vitamin D is vitamin D supplements. Pregnant women should talk to her doctor about vitamin D deficiency.
Causes of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy:
If a pregnant woman can't get enough vitamin D from her diet then vitamin D deficiency can be seen during pregnancy. If a pregnant woman is over weight then she may has a chance of getting vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy. Pregnant women with dark skin may face vitamin D deficiency because skin pigment called melanin present in the body don't allow to absorb vitamin D. If pregnant women's kidney can't convert vitamin D.
Test and treatment of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy:
Doctor perform vitamin D blood test if they notice some symptoms of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy. Vitamin D level below the 20 ng/ml in the body shows a vitamin D deficiency. If the result is positive then doctor advices vitamin D supplements and diet which is good for vitamin D deficiency.
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