Effects of Vitamin D and Antibiotics during Pregnancy

A new study out today on Vitamin D and pregnancy plus two more studies on how drugs and supplements given to pregnant women affect the fetus and the offspring for years to come.

Be well.

Bone Density

Taking higher doses of Vitamin D during pregnancy showed a correlation with higher bone density in those children six years later. The higher Vitamin D supplementation was 2800 IU/d (high-dose) vs 400 IU/d (standard-dose) from pregnancy week 24 until 1 week after birth. Of course, speak with your obstetrician before taking high doses of supplements during pregnancy or at any time.

Effect of High-Dose vs Standard-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation
in Pregnancy on Bone Mineralization in Offspring Until Age 6 Years – JAMA Pediatric, Feb 24, 2020

Article continues below

Antibiotics in Pregnancy

This was a study of more than 104,000 pregnant women given either one prescription of penicillin or one prescription of macrolide antibiotics – erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, fidaxomicin and telithromycin. No matter when during the pregnancy the women were given the drugs, the outcome was worse for the fetus’ exposed to macrolide antibiotics.

During the first trimester exposure to macrolide antibiotics increased the risk of major malformation, specifically cardiovascular malformations compared with penicillin exposure. In any trimester macrolide prescribing increased the risk of genital malformations.

Associations between macrolide antibiotics prescribing during pregnancy and adverse child outcomes in the UK: population based cohort study – British Medical Journal, Feb 19, 2020

Asthma

Vitamin D has been shown to be important for lung development in animal studies. The research hoped to prove that giving pregnant women vitamin D would lower the amount of asthma in offspring. The study followed the children for seven years. Unfortunately, there was virtually no difference in asthma occurrence between those children exposed to higher levels of vitamin d in utero vs those with normal levels.