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Perinatal Vitamin D and Calcium Status of Northern Canadian Mothers and Their Newborn Infants

Departments of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, and Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA

Address reprint request to: T.K. Basu, PhD, FACN, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2P5, CANADA

Objective: This study was undertaken to examine the vitamin D and calcium status of mothers and their newborns.

Methods: The intakes of vitamin D and calcium were determined prenatally in 121 women including 33 Caucasians, 51 Inuits, and 37 Native Indians, living in the Inuvik zone of the Northwest Territories. Plasma concentrations of 25-(OH)-D and calcium were also measured in mothers as well as in their offspring at delivery.

Results: The daily mean vitamin D intake of native mothers, including Inuits and Indians, with (8.1±5.5 µg) and without supplements (3.4±2.5 µg) was significantly lower than that of non-native mothers (13.2±5.9 µg and 5.8±4.3 µg, respectively). According to the predicted prevalence of low vitamin D intake, there existed a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency without supplementation in both native (88.6% vs 48.4%) and non-native (63.5% vs. 15.1%) mothers. The trend for calcium intakes with and without supplementation was similar to vitamin D intake. At the point of delivery, the plasma levels of 25-(OH)-D were lower in native mothers (50.1±19.3 nmol/L) and their offspring (34.2±13.1 nmol/L) than their counterparts (59.8±29.4 nmol/L and 41.4±23.5 nmol/L, respectively). Its plasma levels in newborn infants averaged only 67% of their mothers. None of these infants showed clinical evidence of vitamin D deficiency. In fact, their plasma calcium levels were significantly higher than their mothers.

Conclusions: Plasma 25-(OH)-D concentrations of 60 to 70% of maternal levels may represent a "normal" range for newborn infants. However, a supplementation in native northern Canadian mothers during pregnancy and in their neonates during infancy may have a role to play in the prevention of vitamin D deficiency.

Key words: Northern Canadians, Native Indians, Inuits, Caucasians, mothers, newborns, vitamin D, calcium, 25-(OH)-D

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