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. 2017 Apr 19:12:19.
doi: 10.1186/s13006-017-0105-1. eCollection 2016.

Breastfeeding woman are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency than non-breastfeeding women - insights from the German VitaMinFemin study

Sandra Gellert  1 , Alexander Ströhle  1 , Andreas Hahn  1
Affiliations

Breastfeeding woman are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency than non-breastfeeding women - insights from the German VitaMinFemin study

Sandra Gellert et al. Int Breastfeed J. .

Abstract

Background: Despite increased awareness of the adverse health effects of vitamin D deficiency, only a few studies have evaluated the vitamin D status (25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OHD)]) of breastfeeding women and up to now, no information exits for German breastfeeding women. Therefore, the aim of study was to determine the vitamin D status of breastfeeding women compared to non-pregnant and non-breastfeeding (NPNB) women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated 124 breastfeeding women and 124 age and season matched NPNB women from the German "Vitamin and mineral status among German women" study. The study participants were recruited from April 2013 to March 2015 and did not take vitamin D supplements. Serum 25(OH)D was analyzed by chemiluminescent immunoassay.

Results: Vitamin D deficiency (<25.0 nmol/L) was prevalent in 26.6% of the breastfeeding women. The majority of women (49.2%) showed 25(OH)D concentration between 25.0 and 49.9 nmol/L. In multiple binary logistic regression analysis, breastfeeding women had a 4.0-fold higher odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8, 8.7) for vitamin D deficiency than NPNB women. For breastfeeding women, the risk of vitamin D deficiency was higher in the winter and spring months (OR: 2.6, 95% CI 1.1, 6.3) and increased with lower longitude per one unit (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6, 0.9).

Conclusion: Breastfeeding women in Germany had a higher risk of deficient vitamin D levels than NPNB women. In further studies, the optimal vitamin D status for breastfeeding women should be investigated and also the required vitamin D doses to ensure this vitamin D status.

Trial registration: German Clinical Trial Register (identification number: DRKS00004789).

Keywords: 25(OH)D; Breastfeeding period; Germany; Vitamin D.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Recruitment of study participants. 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; NPNB, non-pregnant and non-breastfeeding
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration in breastfeeding women compared to NPNB women. Bars indicate mean ± standard deviation; Breastfeeding vs. non-breastfeeding women in total study sample: p <0.001‡; Between season in breastfeeding women: p < 0.001†; Between season in NPNB women: p = 0.002†; Breastfeeding vs. NPNB women in spring: p = 0.391‡, summer: p = 0.352‡, autumn: p = 0.026‡, winter: p = 0.001‡; Autumn, September – November; NPNB, non-pregnant and non-breastfeeding; Spring, March – May; Summer, June – August; Winter, December – February; ‡Mann-Whitney U-test, †Kruskal-Wallis-test
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Prevalence of vitamin D status by (a) stage of life and (b) season. Classification of vitamin D status (25(OH)D concentration) according to formula image severe deficiency (<15.0 nmol/L), formula image moderate deficiency (15.0–24.9 nmol/L), formula image insufficiency (25.0–49.9 nmol/L), formula image sufficiency (50.0–74.9 nmol/L) andformula image optimal (75.0–124.9 nmol/L); Risk of excess (≥124.9 nmol/L) was not prevalent; (a) Breastfeeding women vs. NPNB women: p = 0.019*; (b) Between season in breastfeeding women: p <0.001*; Between season in NPNB women: p = 0.032*; Breastfeeding women vs. NPNB women in spring: p = 0.498*, summer: p = 0.070*, autumn: p = 0.139*, winter: p = 0.007*; 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; Autumn, September – November; NPNB, non-pregnant and non-breastfeeding; Spring, March – May; Summer, June – August; Winter, December – February; *Chi-square test
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