Optimal Dosage of Vitamin D Supplementation Necessary for Pregnant Women - Research Paper Example

The optimal dosage of vitamin D supplementation necessary for pregnant women Introduction Women are largely known to be involved in the reproduction process largely that also defines their ability to uptake a large quantity of minerals and vitamins for their use and that of their offspring. It is at the pregnancy stage that the uptakes of vitamins such as Vitamin D are increased as they progress with the pregnancy periods. Numerous studies have been conducted in support of the fact that aligns the uptake level of Vitamin D to the various human diseases that affect their health (McAree, Jacobs, Manickavasagar, Sivalokanathan, Brennan, Bassett & Blair, 2013). For instance, a woman that has a low vitamin D status will likely suffer from cardiovascular diseases, certain forms of cancer, diabetes, depression, and cognitive decline, among others. Vitamin D is naturally obtained in certain foods and added to others in order to make it a dietary supplement. Alternatively, vitamin D is optimally acquired when one exposes their skin to the ultraviolet sunlight rays that strike the skin and triggers the synthesis of the vitamin. To pregnant mothers, this vitamin is quite essential, not only for their distinct wellbeing, but also for the well-being of their unborn babies. This is because of the numerous benefits that are to be achieved from the consumption of the vitamin D such as the maintenance of the adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations in the body. This is to allow for the attainment of a normal mineralization of the bones, and prevention of conditions such as hypocalcaemia among the pregnant women (Perampalam, Ganda, Chow, Opie, Hickman, Shadbolt & Nolan, 2011). The deficiency of this Vitamin D in the body system of a pregnant woman can have serious implications to their health and that of the unborn baby. For instance, according to a study by the US National Institute of Health, the presence of sufficient vitamin D in the body of a pregnant woman would enhance the growth of her bones, and remodel her osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Without a sufficiency in the supply of the vitamin to the body, the bones of the pregnant woman may become brittle, thin and misshapen. To the fetus, the deficiency in the supply of vitamin D into their bodies may result in them acquiring disease conditions such as rickets upon being born, while the mother may suffer from conditions such as osteomalacia (bone pain). Vitamin D presence in the body of the pregnant woman also performs several other functions such as the modulation of the growth of body cells, treatment of weak bones (osteoporosis), and bone loss in people with the hyperparathyroidism condition. However, the major concern for this study shall be to address the optimality of the vitamin D supplementation dosage among pregnant women. This is based on the recent studies that have been done by various organizations such as the US National Health Institute of Health in explaining the need for the continued supplementation, as the deficiency has persisted to the common days. The core objective for this study shall be to assess the optimality of the vitamin D supplementation that is given to pregnant women and its roles and effects for deficiency. The commonness in the insufficiency of the vitamin D supplementation among pregnant women is evidenced by emergent scientific evidence that have pointed to currently recommended daily allowances (RDA) of vitamin D as grossly insufficient. This leads to the main question of what the recommended dosage level of the vitamin D supplementation for the pregnant women should be. In the US lately, the RDA for pregnant was at 400 International Units (IUs), which has since been unable to deal with other conditions other than rickets such as heart diseases, cancer and diabetes among different people. This points to the detrimental effects of the vitamin D deficiency as shall be highlighted herein below. Vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy and its impacts A pregnant mother is always required to eat healthily by varying her diet to reflect the intake of various nutrients, among them, foods with vitamin D nutrient. In case of deficiency of such foods, the women are often given vitamin D supplementation that is essential for the boosting of their vitamin levels in the body (Charatcharoenwitthaya, Nanthakomon, Somprasit, Chanthasenanont, Chailurkit, Pattaraarchachai & Ongphiphadhanakul, 2013). Based on a study by Ginde, Sullivan, Mansbach & Camargo (2010), adolescent and women of childbearing age have a high prevalence of the insufficiency of vitamin D in their bodies that is essential for their growth and that of their fetus. This is because of the importance of vitamin D and pregnancy as subjects for analysis by scientists and medical practitioners. As a result, the expecting mothers should always ensure that they get the recommended or optimal amounts of vitamin D during the pregnancy period for their own and the fetus’ benefits to undergo healthy developments. The decision to conduct this study is also informed by the need to ensure that there is an optimal level of supplementation for vitamin D, as a way of confirming the benefits to the pregnant mothers. In a conference centered around the theme of optimality of the vitamin D intake, researchers at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) pronounced that the recommended level of vitamin D intake for pregnant women should be revised and increased to at least 1000 units, for them to be able to achieve vitamin D sufficiency. Insufficiency of vitamin D in the body will also imply that the cells with the vitamin’s receptors are converted in times of need, so as to attain the recommended serum concentration in the body. Based on a study by Misra, Pacaud, Petryk, Collett-Solberg & Kappy (2008), proper guidelines needs to be provided to clinicians and doctors to be used in the evaluation, treatment and prevention of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women. The study recommends that the ability to protect the patient and avoid the instances of death as a result of the deficiency of vitamin D, adequate care needs to be provided by the respective hospital administrations. Taking into consideration the few number of foods that naturally contain vitamin D nutrients, and the commonness of the deficiency, pregnant mothers are often subjected to overwhelming conditions that can only be regained by taking an optimal amount of vitamin D supplementation. Women who take vitamin D supplements will increase their chances of managing their pregnancies well, and prevent preterm labors and infections. Statistically, about 40-60% of the American populations, including the pregnant women are deficient of vitamin D; the reason being the shortage in vitamin D foods (Holick, Binkley, Bischoff-Ferrari, Gordon, Hanley, Heaney & Weaver, 2011). ð‑¿Ëÿ ?ð–——˜š›ž ¡£¤!$ö˜š›ž ¡£¤!$3Åöÿ—˜¤Ëæçé­$ å w q+V l‡m~h„™y‰°™Æ-±Ñ7²Ð0´ÙPØõìiCý˜šÿ@€————#Ð@ÿÿUnknownÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿG‑ÿ*àAxÀ ÿTimes New Roman5‑€Symbol3. ÿ*àCxÀ ÿArial7.ÿáÿ¬@ ŸCalibri5. ÿ.á[`À)ÿTahomaA‑ÿàÿ$BŸCambria Math"1ˆðÐhø#ø#Õà Õà Ùð  ´´0––JƒQðüýHP ðÿ $PäÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÐ0´2!xx  ÜÿÿMARVINNMARVINNþÿà…ŸòùOh«‘+³Ù0 pxˆ˜ ¨´ Ô !)OÚ^ýrÍC$ñy@“°íÝ‑ö/­yH*œ˜ñ„´½)‘Þµ÷ß»Š×UDb‚`}"×qÛ‹”J×—–¤ÃX^æ)I`nÌEŒ¼Šp)øèÆli¹V[]Š1Mýý»GðMGeøÆD¢›äíó3Vq%#q¾ÃÓòŠÍ$”8ÁšKýžŠôÍ)f™w9:ĵàå£ x}rÏx‰‰¢œw¢ØîrÎ:\TZaGó*™y8IÂjæbRÆíc|XÅ»‹Ç¿½I u3KGñnD1÷N IBÒsü€ íîRêØu—ú‚K>Vè.EL+M2¤#šf‹¶i References Charatcharoenwitthaya, N., Nanthakomon, T., Somprasit, C., Chanthasenanont, A., Chailurkit, L. O., Pattaraarchachai, J., & Ongphiphadhanakul, B. (2013). Maternal vitamin D status, its associated factors and the course of pregnancy in Thai women. Clinical endocrinology, 78(1), 126-133. Ginde, A. A., Sullivan, A. F., Mansbach, J. M., & Camargo Jr, C. A. (2010). Vitamin D insufficiency in pregnant and nonpregnant women of childbearing age in the United States. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 202(5), 436-e1. Holick, M. F., Binkley, N. C., Bischoff-Ferrari, H. A., Gordon, C. M., Hanley, D. A., Heaney, R. P., ... & Weaver, C. M. (2011). Evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 96(7), 1911-1930. ð‑¿Ëÿ ?ð–——˜š›ž ¡£¤!$ö˜š›ž ¡£¤!$3Åöÿ—˜¤Ëæçé­$ å Hollis, B. W. (2005). Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels indicative of vitamin D sufficiency: implications for establishing a new effective dietary intake recommendation for vitamin D. The Journal of nutrition, 135(2), 317-322. Karim, S. A., Nusrat, U., & Aziz, S. (2011). Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their newborns as seen at a tertiary-care center in Karachi, Pakistan. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 112(1), 59-62. McAree, T., Jacobs, B., Manickavasagar, T., Sivalokanathan, S., Brennan, L., Bassett, P., ... & Blair, M. (2013). Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy–still a public health issue. Maternal & child nutrition, 9(1), 23-30. Misra, M., Pacaud, D., Petryk, A., Collett-Solberg, P. F., & Kappy, M. (2008). Vitamin D deficiency in children and its management: review of current knowledge and recommendations. Pediatrics, 122(2), 398-417. Wagner, C. L., & Greer, F. R. (2008). Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics, 122(5), 1142-1152. Perampalam, S., Ganda, K., CHOW, K. A., Opie, N., Hickman, P. E., Shadbolt, B., ... & Nolan, C. J. (2011). Vitamin D status and its predictive factors in pregnancy in 2 Australian populations. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 51(4), 353-359. Ș³íJøÀ×j|†‚h(¢K³óD-Šµß㢠dXÑ©iJÆ؇(îâx$(Ö ð:Á¥;ä˹!Í I_ÐTµ½S 1£÷êù÷¯ž?EÇž?øéøáÃã?ZBΪmœ„åU/¿ýìÏÇ­£?ž~óòÑÕxYÆÿúÿüüy5Òg&΋/ŸüöìÉ‹¯>ýý»GðMGeøÆD¢›äíó3Vq%#q¾ÃÓòŠÍ$”8ÁšKýžŠôÍ)f™w9:ĵàå£ x}rÏx‰‰¢œw¢ØîrÎ:\TZaGó*™y8IÂjæbRÆíc|XÅ»‹Ç¿½I u3KGñnD1÷N IBÒsü€ íîRêØu—ú‚K>Vè.EL+M2¤#šf‹¶i ~™Vé þvl³{u8«Òz‹ºHÈ Ì*„­æ˜ñ:ž(W‘☕ ~«¨JÈÁTøe\O*ðtHG½€HYµæ–}KNßÁP±*ݾ˦±‹Š‑TѼ9/#·øA7ÂqZ…Ð$*c?¢íqUßån†èwðNºû øä‑‑Normal‑‑2‑Microsoft Office Word@Œ†G@î`c]LÏ@î`c]LÏÕÃþÿÕÍÕœ Read More