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. 2017 Jul 15;17(1):231.
doi: 10.1186/s12884-017-1408-3.

The role of vitamin D in pre-eclampsia: a systematic review

Juhi M Purswani  1 , Pooja Gala  2 , Pratibha Dwarkanath  3 , Heather M Larkin  1 , Anura Kurpad  3 , Saurabh Mehta  4   5
Affiliations

The role of vitamin D in pre-eclampsia: a systematic review

Juhi M Purswani et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Abstract

Background: The etiology of pre-eclampsia (PE) is not yet fully understood, though current literature indicates an upregulation of inflammatory mediators produced by the placenta as a potential causal mechanism. Vitamin D is known to have anti-inflammatory properties and there is evidence of an inverse relationship between dietary calcium intake and the incidence of PE. Evidence of the role of vitamin D status and supplementation in the etiology and prevention of PE is reviewed in this article along with identification of research gaps to inform future studies.

Methods: We conducted a structured literature search using MEDLINE electronic databases to identify published studies until February 2015. These sources were retrieved, collected, indexed, and assessed for availability of pregnancy-related data on PE and vitamin D.

Results: Several case-control studies and cross-sectional studies have shown an association between vitamin D status and PE, although evidence has been inconsistent. Clinical trials to date have been unable to show an independent effect of vitamin D supplementation in preventing PE.

Conclusions: The included clinical trials do not show an independent effect of vitamin D supplementation in preventing PE; however, issues with dose, timing, and duration of supplementation have not been completely addressed.

Keywords: Endothelial function; Pre-eclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy-induced hypertension; Vitamin D.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

SM has equity interest in a startup focusing on point-of-care diagnostic platforms for nutritional status that were developed as part of his research program as a faculty member at Cornell University.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Search Flow. Detailed summary of the search process and protocol
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