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Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Vitamin D supplementation for women during pregnancy

Overview of attention for article published in Cochrane database of systematic reviews, January 2016
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  • In the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (99th percentile)
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (96th percentile)

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9 news outlets
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2 blogs
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3 policy sources
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135 X users
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12 Facebook pages
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320 Dimensions

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661 Mendeley
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2 CiteULike
Title
Vitamin D supplementation for women during pregnancy
Published in
Cochrane database of systematic reviews, January 2016
DOI 10.1002/14651858.cd008873.pub3
Pubmed ID
Authors

Luz Maria De‐Regil, Cristina Palacios, Lia K Lombardo, Juan Pablo Peña‐Rosas

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency is thought to be common among pregnant women. Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy has been suggested as an intervention to protect against adverse pregnancy outcomes. To examine whether oral supplements with vitamin D alone or in combination with calcium or other vitamins and minerals given to women during pregnancy can safely improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (23 February 2015), the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (31 January 2015), the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (28 January 2015) and also contacted relevant organisations (31 January 2015). Randomised and quasi-randomised trials with randomisation at either individual or cluster level, evaluating the effect of supplementation with vitamin D alone or in combination with other micronutrients for women during pregnancy. Two review authors independently i) assessed the eligibility of studies against the inclusion criteria ii) extracted data from included studies, and iii) assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Data were checked for accuracy. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. In this updated review we included 15 trials assessing a total of 2833 women, excluded 27 trials, and 23 trials are still ongoing or unpublished. Nine trials compared the effects of vitamin D alone versus no supplementation or a placebo and six trials compared the effects of vitamin D and calcium with no supplementation. Risk of bias in the majority of trials was unclear and many studies were at high risk of bias for blinding and attrition rates. Vitamin D alone versus no supplementation or a placebo Data from seven trials involving 868 women consistently show that women who received vitamin D supplements alone, particularly on a daily basis, had higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D than those receiving no intervention or placebo, but this response was highly heterogeneous. Also, data from two trials involving 219 women suggest that women who received vitamin D supplements may have a lower risk of pre-eclampsia than those receiving no intervention or placebo (8.9% versus 15.5%; risk ratio (RR) 0.52; 95% CI 0.25 to 1.05, low quality). Data from two trials involving 219 women suggest a similar risk of gestational diabetes among those taking vitamin D supplements or no intervention/placebo (RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.05, 3.45, very low quality). There were no clear differences in adverse effects, with only one reported case of nephritic syndrome in the control group in one study (RR 0.17; 95% CI 0.01 to 4.06; one trial, 135 women, low quality). Given the scarcity of data for this outcome, no firm conclusions can be drawn. No other adverse effects were reported in any of the other studies.With respect to infant outcomes, data from three trials involving 477 women suggest that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk preterm birth compared to no intervention or placebo (8.9% versus 15.5%; RR 0.36; 95% CI 0.14 to 0.93, moderate quality). Data from three trials involving 493 women also suggest that women who receive vitamin D supplements during pregnancy less frequently had a baby with a birthweight below 2500 g than those receiving no intervention or placebo (RR 0.40; 95% CI 0.24 to 0.67, moderate quality).In terms of other outcomes, there were no clear differences in caesarean section (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.31; two trials; 312 women); stillbirths (RR 0.35 95% CI 0.06, 1.99; three trials, 540 women); or neonatal deaths (RR 0.27; 95% CI 0.04, 1.67; two trials, 282 women). There was some indication that vitamin D supplementation increases infant length (mean difference (MD) 0.70, 95% CI -0.02 to 1.43; four trials, 638 infants) and head circumference at birth (MD 0.43, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.83; four trials, 638 women). Vitamin D and calcium versus no supplementation or a placeboWomen who received vitamin D with calcium had a lower risk of pre-eclampsia than those not receiving any intervention (RR 0.51; 95% CI 0.32 to 0.80; three trials; 1114 women, moderate quality), but also an increased risk of preterm birth (RR 1.57; 95% CI 1.02 to 2.43, three studies, 798 women, moderate quality). Maternal vitamin D concentration at term, gestational diabetes, adverse effects and low birthweight were not reported in any trial or reported only by one study. New studies have provided more evidence on the effects of supplementing pregnant women with vitamin D alone or with calcium on pregnancy outcomes. Supplementing pregnant women with vitamin D in a single or continued dose increases serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D at term and may reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia, low birthweight and preterm birth. However, when vitamin D and calcium are combined, the risk of preterm birth is increased. The clinical significance of the increased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations is still unclear. In light of this, these results need to be interpreted with caution. Data on adverse effects were lacking in all studies.The evidence on whether vitamin D supplementation should be given as a part of routine antenatal care to all women to improve maternal and infant outcomes remains unclear. While there is some indication that vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia and increase length and head circumference at birth, further rigorous randomised trials are required to confirm these effects.

X Demographics

X Demographics

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 661 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United Kingdom 2 <1%
Chile 1 <1%
Norway 1 <1%
Unknown 657 99%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 118 18%
Student > Bachelor 85 13%
Researcher 61 9%
Student > Ph. D. Student 56 8%
Student > Postgraduate 39 6%
Other 122 18%
Unknown 180 27%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 241 36%
Nursing and Health Professions 88 13%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 25 4%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 23 3%
Social Sciences 19 3%
Other 60 9%
Unknown 205 31%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 181. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 16 January 2024.
All research outputs
#222,662
of 25,457,858 outputs
Outputs from Cochrane database of systematic reviews
#373
of 11,499 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#3,734
of 402,908 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Cochrane database of systematic reviews
#8
of 252 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,457,858 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 99th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 11,499 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 40.0. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 402,908 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 99% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 252 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 96% of its contemporaries.