Vitamin D in Reproductive Health and Pregnancy. 2016

Aya Mousa, and Sally Abell, and Robert Scragg, and Barbora de Courten
Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

Vitamin D has been primarily known for its role in maintaining calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and promoting healthy bone mineralization. Emerging evidence suggests that vitamin D may have a plethora of other functions including cardiometabolic and immunological effects and a role in modulating human reproductive processes. Despite this, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) remains highly prevalent worldwide due to the limited availability of foods that are naturally high or fortified with vitamin D, increased sun avoidance behaviors and use of sunscreen due to fear of skin cancer, and increased sedentary indoor lifestyles, especially among those of reproductive age. This review examines current and emerging evidence for the role of vitamin D in reproductive health including in fertility, conception, and pregnancy outcomes, and outlines areas for future research. We found that existing evidence is based primarily on animal models and in vitro studies with some recent support from observational studies in humans. While these studies indicate that VDD may be a risk factor for adverse fertility and pregnancy outcomes, there is insufficient evidence to establish causality. Future efforts to clarify the benefits of vitamin D in reproductive health may bring about practical, simple, and cost-effective means of improving fertility and pregnancy outcomes.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007246 Infertility A reduced or absent capacity to reproduce. Sterility,Reproductive Sterility,Sterility, Reproductive,Sub-Fertility,Subfertility
D008297 Male Males
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D011248 Pregnancy Complications Conditions or pathological processes associated with pregnancy. They can occur during or after pregnancy, and range from minor discomforts to serious diseases that require medical interventions. They include diseases in pregnant females, and pregnancies in females with diseases. Adverse Birth Outcomes,Complications, Pregnancy,Adverse Birth Outcome,Birth Outcome, Adverse,Complication, Pregnancy,Outcome, Adverse Birth,Pregnancy Complication
D012098 Reproduction The total process by which organisms produce offspring. (Stedman, 25th ed) Human Reproductive Index,Human Reproductive Indexes,Reproductive Period,Human Reproductive Indices,Index, Human Reproductive,Indexes, Human Reproductive,Indices, Human Reproductive,Period, Reproductive,Periods, Reproductive,Reproductive Index, Human,Reproductive Indices, Human,Reproductive Periods
D005260 Female Females
D005298 Fertility The capacity to conceive or to induce conception. It may refer to either the male or female. Fecundity,Below Replacement Fertility,Differential Fertility,Fecundability,Fertility Determinants,Fertility Incentives,Fertility Preferences,Fertility, Below Replacement,Marital Fertility,Natural Fertility,Subfecundity,World Fertility Survey,Determinant, Fertility,Determinants, Fertility,Fertility Determinant,Fertility Incentive,Fertility Preference,Fertility Survey, World,Fertility Surveys, World,Fertility, Differential,Fertility, Marital,Fertility, Natural,Preference, Fertility,Preferences, Fertility,Survey, World Fertility,Surveys, World Fertility,World Fertility Surveys
D006304 Health Status The level of health of the individual, group, or population as subjectively assessed by the individual or by more objective measures. General Health,General Health Level,General Health Status,Level of Health,Overall Health,Overall Health Status,General Health Levels,Health Level,Health Level, General,Health Levels,Health Status, General,Health Status, Overall,Health, General,Health, Overall,Level, General Health,Levels, General Health,Status, General Health,Status, Health,Status, Overall Health
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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