Early pregnancy vitamin D and patterns of antenatal inflammation in African–American women

Vitamin D is essential for the health of both mother and fetus during pregnancy (Shin and Choi, 2010). In addition to an essential role in bone health, growing evidence shows that vitamin D is involved in the inflammatory response (Adams and Hewison, 2008). Although inflammation has been linked to poor birth outcomes (Lyon D et al., 2010), little is known about the relationship between vitamin D and inflammation during pregnancy. In the nonpregnant state, vitamin D is important in the regulation of the immune system and inflammation.

Source: Journal of Reproductive Immunology - October 14, 2014 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Kevin R. Bobbitt, Rosalind M. Peters, Jia Li, Sudhaker D. Rao, Kimberley J. Woodcroft, Andrea E. Cassidy-Bushrow Source Type: research