 Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Vaginal Infection In Pregnant Women
source: Huliq News Date: 07/14/09
Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to suffer from bacterial vaginosis (BV) – a common vaginal infection that increases a woman's risk for preterm delivery, according to a University of Pittsburgh
study.
Available online and published in the June issue of the Journal of
Nutrition, the study may explain why African-American women, who often
lack adequate vitamin D, are three times more likely than white women
to develop BV.
Bacterial
vaginosis affects nearly one in three reproductive-aged women, so there
is great need to understand how it can be prevented," said Lisa M.
Bodnar, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., assistant professor of epidemiology,
obstetrics and gynecology, University of Pittsburgh. "It is not only
associated with a number of gynecologic conditions, but also may
contribute to premature delivery – the leading cause of neonatal
mortality – making it of particular concern to pregnant women.
The
study, which included 469 pregnant women, sought to determine whether
poor vitamin D status played a role in predisposing women, especially
African-Americans, to BV. Dr. Bodnar and colleagues at Magee-Womens
Research Institute found that 41 percent of the study participants had
BV and of these, 93 percent had insufficient levels of vitamin D. They
also found that the prevalence of BV decreased as vitamin D levels
rose.
Vitamin
D may play a role in BV by regulating the production and function of
antimicrobial molecules, which in turn may help the immune system
prevent and control bacterial infection. However, only about one in
four Americans gets enough vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency may be more
common in African-Americans because dark pigmentation limits the amount
of vitamin D that can be made in the skin through casual exposure to
sunlight. African-American women also are less likely to meet dietary
recommendations of vitamin D.
Although
this is a preliminary study, it points out an interesting connection
between vitamin D and BV," said Dr. Bodnar. "We don't recommend
pregnant women take mega-doses of vitamin D based on these findings,
but they should talk with their doctor if they have concerns about
their vitamin D status. All women should be encouraged to eat a healthy
diet and take a prenatal vitamin before they become pregnant or as soon
as they find out they are pregnant.
By University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
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