A comprehensive meta-analysis of over 188,000 participants suggests that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy is associated with a lower incidence of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. These benefits include a reduced risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm delivery, low birth weight, being small for gestational age, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality.
Furthermore, the supplementation was linked to improvements in anthropometric measurements, such as enhanced birth weight, birth length, and head circumference. These positive associations remained consistent across various subgroups, including those receiving lower vitamin D doses or shorter intervention periods.
While researchers highlight the importance of vitamin D as a component of prenatal care, they caution that it does not guarantee the prevention of all adverse events. Further studies are recommended to determine optimal dosages, supplementation timing, and interactions with other nutrients.