Relationship between Serum Vitamin D Status and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background The association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus
(GDM) are proposed by several studies. Gestational diabetes mellitus complicates nearly 1% to 28% of all
pregnancies and had an adverse effect for both mother and offspring. Vitamin D deficiency is one of the
modified risk factors that can be corrected in the pre-conceptional period.
Objectives The current study aims to investigate and compare the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in
pregnant women with GDM and non-GDM control subjects.
Methods In a descriptive study plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D was assessed in a 100 women with GDM and
it was compared to 162 non-GDM at gestational age above 24 weeks that was conducted in the Maternity
Teaching Hospital in Sulaimani city from December 2018 to January 2019. The study used face-to-face
interviews to collect the data through a specific written questionnaire. At the same time serum vitamin D
state was examined using the Roche Elecsys vitamin D3 assay.
Results There were no statistical significant differences found between two groups of GDM and nonGDM. The result of the study showed that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency higher in the GDM group
(77.0%) compares to non-GDM group (68.5%). The study found that socioeconomic state (p-value=0.069),
body mass index(p-value=0.038), education (p-value=0.000), residency (p-value=0.000), age at marriage
(p-value=0.023), gravida (p-value=0.014), and para (p-value=0.001), was significantly different between
two groups of GDM and non-GDM.
Conclusion Overall, results imply that the vitamin D deficiency more prevalent among GDM group compare
to non-GDM group, but the differences was not statically significant.