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Vitamin D supplements proven safe for pregnant women

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

For pregnant women who have received unhealthy vitamin D tests, nutritional supplements may be a safe option to help them improve their nutritional status, according to a new study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

For decades it had been assumed that vitamin D supplements may harm the development of a fetus. This claim dates back to a 1963 study in which a scientist said that pregnant women should be restricted to just 200 international units of the nutrient each day. However, the researchers behind the present study said that this recommendation was based on little more than a "hunch" by the original scientist.

To test the veracity of the claim, they split 350 pregnant women into three groups. One was given vitamin D supplements containing 400 international units, another was provided 2,000 international unit supplements and the last received supplements with 4,000 international units of the nutrient.

The women who received the highest levels of the nutrient had the healthiest vitamin D test scores by the end of the study. Also, the results showed that they were no more likely to experience pregnancy complications.

The researchers said that their findings show that taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy is perfectly safe and may actually support good health.