Cellular and Physiological Nutrition/Metabolism

Clinical and Translational Nutrition

Vitamins and Minerals GEM Forum: Iron and Vitamin D During Pregnancy: Can Vitamin D Supplementation Improve Maternal and Fetal Iron and Anemia Status?

Chair(s)

• SC

  Sisi Cao, PhD

  Medical Communication Senior Associate
  Mead Johnson Nutrition
  Evansville, Indiana, United States

  Disclosure(s): Mead Johnson Nutrition/Reckitt: Employee (Ongoing)

Co-Chair(s)

• 

  David Barney, Jr., PhD

  Postdoctoral Researcher
  U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine
  Natick, Massachusetts, United States

  Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Speaker(s)

• 

  Kimberly O'Brien, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences
  Nutritional Sciences
  Cornell University
  Ithaca, New York, United States

  Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
• 

  Karen O'Callaghan, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences
  Department of Nutritional Sciences, King's College London
  London, England, United Kingdom

  Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Iron and vitamin D deficiencies are among the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies worldwide, affecting millions of people, particularly in developing countries. Iron deficiency, the leading cause of anemia, disproportionately impacts women, especially during pregnancy when the demand for iron increases to support fetal development and increased maternal blood volume. Vitamin D deficiency is similarly widespread, often due to limited sun exposure and inadequate dietary intake. These two metabolites are linked, as vitamin D plays a role in regulating iron metabolism; however, the degree of influence that vitamin D adequacy has on iron status remains unclear. Research suggests that vitamin D may enhance the absorption of iron and modulate inflammatory responses that influence anemia. During pregnancy, a deficiency in one or both nutrients can exacerbate the risk of anemia and inflammation, which are associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, including pre-term birth and low birth weight. Adequate levels of both iron and vitamin D are crucial for reducing the incidence of pregnancy-related anemia and supporting maternal and fetal health. There are few studies that have examined the benefit of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on maternal and fetal iron status, an issue that clearly merits further study.