Boost Your Baby's Health: Optimizing Vitamin D During Pregnancy
Mar 25, 2025•11 min
Episode description
Story at-a-glance
- First trimester vitamin D levels significantly affect baby length and preterm birth risk, with every 10 nmol/L increase in maternal vitamin D corresponding to measurable increases in fetal length
- Pregnant women with severe vitamin D deficiency (below 10 ng/mL) face nearly eight times higher risk of preterm birth and more than four times greater risk of developmental delays in their children
- Vitamin D triggers production of natural antimicrobial substances that help protect against infections that could lead to preterm birth
- Vitamin D plays a role in placental blood vessel development and helps control inflammation during pregnancy, directly impacting fetal brain development and overall pregnancy health
- Strategic sun exposure is the optimal way to boost vitamin D, but care must be taken with timing and duration, especially for those consuming seed oils, which increase UV sensitivity