Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Nov;33(6):453-462.
doi: 10.5001/omj.2018.85.

Hypocalcemia in Pregnancy: A Clinical Review Update

Abdulrahman Almaghamsi  1 , Mussa H Almalki  1   2 , Badurudeen Mahmood Buhary  1
Affiliations

Hypocalcemia in Pregnancy: A Clinical Review Update

Abdulrahman Almaghamsi et al. Oman Med J. 2018 Nov.

Abstract

Though hypocalcemia in pregnancy is not often reported in the literature, it occurs in cases of hypoparathyroidism and in mothers with severe dietary inadequacy. Hypocalcemia during pregnancy can pose numerous problems to the mother and fetus. It is associated with hypertensive disorders and can increase the risk of numerous problems such as preeclampsia and fetal growth disorders. In this review, we summarize the challenges physicians face diagnosing and managing hypocalcemia during pregnancy. A multidisciplinary team including endocrinologists and obstetricians is warranted to ensure appropriate treatment and optimal outcomes.

Keywords: Calcium; Hypocalcemia; Hypoparathyroidism; Pregnancy; Vitamin D.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Contrasting calcium homeostasis in human pregnancy and lactation, as compared to normal. The thickness of arrows indicates a relative increase or decrease with respect to the normal and non-pregnant state. The direct and possible indirect stimulation of plasma prolactin is also shown.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ross AC, Taylor CL, Yaktine AL, Valle HB, eds. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium; Dietary reference intakes for calcium and vitamin D. Washington (DC): National Academies Press US; 2011. - PubMed
    1. Pu F, Chen N, Xue S. Calcium intake, calcium homeostasis and health. Food Science and Human Wellness 2016;5(1):8-16 . 10.1016/j.fshw.2016.01.001 - DOI
    1. Jafri L, Khan AH, Azeem S. Ionized calcium measurement in serum and plasma by ion selective electrodes: comparison of measured and calculated parameters. Indian J Clin Biochem 2014. Jul;29(3):327-332 . 10.1007/s12291-013-0360-x - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fong J, Khan A. Hypocalcemia: updates in diagnosis and management for primary care. Can Fam Physician 2012. Feb;58(2):158-162. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Peacock M. Calcium metabolism in health and disease. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2010. Jan;5(Suppl 1):S23-S30 . 10.2215/CJN.05910809 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources