Biomaterial Database

Vitamin D deficiency: a concern in pregnant Asian women. 1995

M Alfaham, and S Woodhead, and G Pask, and D Davies

Department of Child Health, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff.

Vitamin D status of Asian mothers in Cardiff was investigated during early pregnancy and at the time of the birth of their babies, using serum parathyroid hormone (PTH). Median values in Asian (n 32) and Caucasian (n 63) mothers in early pregnancy were 1.56 and 0.81 pmol/l respectively. PTH levels from a separate sample of nineteen Asian and twenty-five Caucasian mothers at the time of birth were 3.0 and 2.20 pmol/l respectively. Altogether twelve Asian and two Caucasian women had elevated PTH. All Asian women who had high PTH values also had a very low serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol level (25OHD). All samples were taken from women with no significant medical history and normal obstetric history. These findings suggest that subclinical vitamin D deficiency is still a cause for concern in Asian women. More active measures need to be taken to implement current recommendations to improve their vitamin D intake in pregnancy.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009752	Nutritional Status	State of the body in relation to the consumption and utilization of nutrients.	Nutrition Status,Status, Nutrition,Status, Nutritional
D010281	Parathyroid Hormone	A polypeptide hormone (84 amino acid residues) secreted by the PARATHYROID GLANDS which performs the essential role of maintaining intracellular CALCIUM levels in the body. Parathyroid hormone increases intracellular calcium by promoting the release of CALCIUM from BONE, increases the intestinal absorption of calcium, increases the renal tubular reabsorption of calcium, and increases the renal excretion of phosphates.	Natpara,PTH (1-84),PTH(1-34),Parathormone,Parathyrin,Parathyroid Hormone (1-34),Parathyroid Hormone (1-84),Parathyroid Hormone Peptide (1-34),Hormone, Parathyroid
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
D002112	Calcifediol	The major circulating metabolite of VITAMIN D3. It is produced in the LIVER and is the best indicator of the body's vitamin D stores. It is effective in the treatment of RICKETS and OSTEOMALACIA, both in azotemic and non-azotemic patients. Calcifediol also has mineralizing properties.	25-Hydroxycholecalciferol,25-Hydroxyvitamin D 3,25-Hydroxycholecalciferol Monohydrate,25-Hydroxyvitamin D3,Calcidiol,Calcifediol Anhydrous,Calcifediol, (3 alpha,5Z,7E)-Isomer,Calcifediol, (3 beta,5E,7E)-Isomer,Calderol,Dedrogyl,Hidroferol,25 Hydroxycholecalciferol,25 Hydroxycholecalciferol Monohydrate,25 Hydroxyvitamin D 3,25 Hydroxyvitamin D3,Anhydrous, Calcifediol,Monohydrate, 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001208	Asia	The largest of the continents. It was known to the Romans more specifically as what we know today as Asia Minor. The name comes from at least two possible sources: from the Assyrian asu (to rise) or from the Sanskrit usa (dawn), both with reference to its being the land of the rising sun, i.e., eastern as opposed to Europe, to the west. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p82 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p34)
D014807	Vitamin D	A vitamin that includes both CHOLECALCIFEROLS and ERGOCALCIFEROLS, which have the common effect of preventing or curing RICKETS in animals. It can also be viewed as a hormone since it can be formed in SKIN by action of ULTRAVIOLET RAYS upon the precursors, 7-dehydrocholesterol and ERGOSTEROL, and acts on VITAMIN D RECEPTORS to regulate CALCIUM in opposition to PARATHYROID HORMONE.
D014808	Vitamin D Deficiency	A nutritional condition produced by a deficiency of VITAMIN D in the diet, insufficient production of vitamin D in the skin, inadequate absorption of vitamin D from the diet, or abnormal conversion of vitamin D to its bioactive metabolites. It is manifested clinically as RICKETS in children and OSTEOMALACIA in adults. (From Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 19th ed, p1406)	Deficiency, Vitamin D,Deficiencies, Vitamin D,Vitamin D Deficiencies