Evaluation Of Vitamin D Status And Effective Maternal Factors On Vitamin D Levels In Cord Blood Of Infants Born In Zahedan, Iran

Background: The available sources indicate our insufficient knowledge about vitamin D levels in infants born in Iran. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the vitamin D status and effective maternal factors on vitamin D levels in cord blood of neonates born in south-east of Iran.Materials and Methods: This descriptive-cross sectional study was performed on neonates who born in Ali-Ibn-Abitaleb Hospital (Zahedan, Iran), and their mothers from August 2020 to January 2021. To assess the maternal serum and umbilical cord level of vitamin D, 5 ml of whole blood (umbilical cord blood and maternal venous blood) were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between different levels of the infants' vitamin D and some maternal vitamin D deficiency factors were evaluated.Results: A total of 190 pregnant women & 190 infants participated in this study. The mean serum level of vitamin D in newborns was 37.90 ngr/ml, of which 41(21.8%) were vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D status of neonatal cord blood was significantly related to using vitamin D supplements mother by during pregnancy, parity, maternal literacy level, infant gender, maternal exposure to sunlight and maternal vitamin D status (p<0.05 for all).Conclusion: Our study showed that using vitamin D supplements by mother during pregnancy, parity, maternal literacy level, infant gender, maternal exposure to sunlight and maternal vitamin D status is related to the infants' vitamin D status. Further research is needed to determine the reason behind some established relationships in the present research including the relationship between parity and vitamin D in neonates.