Multifetal pregnancy may increase the risk for severe maternal and neonatal vitamin D deficiency

Benjamin U. Nwosu, Leslie A. Soyka, Amanda Angelescu, Olga T. Hardy, Mary M. Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)172-175
Number of pages4
JournalEndocrinologist
Volume18
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2008

Keywords

  • Deficiency
  • Hypocalcemia
  • Multifetal
  • Pregnancy
  • Vitamin D

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

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