DOI: 10.36347/sasjm.2022.v08i10.021

Pages: 774-781

Pregnancy is a unique and demanding time in terms of calcium and phosphate metabolism. Studies have shown that prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women varies, as being 33% in US, 24% in Canada and 20-77% in Europe. Low maternal levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are associated with many neonatal outcomes, including small for gestational age (SGA), preterm birth, detrimental effect on offspring teeth and bone development in addition to the susceptibility to infectious diseases. Background: Pregnancy is a unique and demanding time in terms of calcium and phosphate metabolism. Vitamin D is one important for the developmental process and plays a crucial role for mineral balance, with rapidly growing bone susceptible to mineralization defects such as rickets [1]. Vitamin D deficiency has become a global public health issue, especially for pregnant women [2]. Several studies conducted on a large population have evaluated the effect of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and relate it to many adverse outcomes for both the mother and the child [3].