The researchers wrote in the British Journal of Nutrition that supplementation of vitamin D will benefit pregnant women and reduce the risk of diseases such as infantile hypocalcaemia and rickets.
They said the UK was the only country in 31 that did not officially recommend vitamin D usage to women of reproductive age, even though the Department of Health advises pregnant women to take 10 micrograms per day.
"The incidence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women in Britain is unacceptably high, especially during winter and spring,” said Dr Elina Hypponen, one of the report authors.
“This is compounded by a lack of exposure to sunlight and the limitations of an average diet to meet the optimal need. In the most severe cases, maternal vitamin D deficiency can be life threatening to a newborn.”
"We believe that the routine provision of a daily supplement throughout pregnancy would significantly decrease the number of mothers who are clearly vitamin D deficient, reducing related serious risks to their babies."
Read the full story at: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Pregnant-women-advised-to-take-vitamin-D
Source and thanks to www.nutraingredients.com.
