Title
Multifetal Pregnancy May Increase the Risk for Severe Maternal and Neonatal Vitamin D Deficiency
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Pediatrics; Department of Cell Biology
Date
7-2008
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Pregnancy, Multiple; Vitamin D Deficiency; Hypocalcemia
Disciplines
Cell Biology | Pediatrics
Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in pregnant women. This deficiency could be exaggerated in multifetal pregnancies by the increased demand on maternal stores of vitamin D. We present 2 cases in which hypocalcemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism occurred in 2 sets of twins from mothers with vitamin D deficiency. The first mother had gastric bypass surgery and Crohn disease. The second mother had no apparent cause of vitamin D deficiency. Both women had iron deficiency anemia and lived in Northeastern United States. We speculate that in twins, the demand for 25-hydroxyvitamin D by 2 fetuses could deplete the 25-hydroxyvitamin D stores in a mother.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: Nwosu, B, Soyka LA, Angelescu A, Hardy OT, and Lee, MM. Multifetal Pregnancy may increase the risk for Severe Maternal and Neonatal Vitamin D Deficiency, Endocrinologist, 2008,18:172-174. DOI: 10.1097/TEN.0b013e3181815a9e