Vitamin D and Its Crucial Role in Pregnancy: From Deficiency to Optimal Health for Both Mother, Fetus and Child in Later Life

Dear Colleagues,

Vitamin D deficiency, affecting about one billion people globally, is especially concerning in pregnant women, in which population it is estimated to range from 20 to 85%. Through vitamin D receptors, present in various cells and tissues, vitamin D plays a crucial role in DNA repair, antioxidant activity, cell regulation and brain function. Vitamin D deficiency may result in adverse effects on growth, bone health muscle function, immune system regulation, and blood glucose regulation and insulin action. The health consequences of vitamin D deficiency include an increased risk of bone disease, diabetes mellitus, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disorders and an increased risk of developing cancer.  
Vitamin D deficiency is also strongly associated with an increased risk of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction and gestational diabetes. Moreover, low prenatal vitamin D levels contribute to long-term health implications such as an increased risk of obesity, schizophrenia and various immune-related conditions including asthma, autoimmunity-related conditions, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

This Special Issue aims to focus on the role of vitamin D in pregnancy and its influence on the health of the mother and child (during its fetal stage and in later life). We encourage the submission of articles that explore the necessity of vitamin D for optimal health across generations and elucidate the underlying mechanisms related to vitamin D´s impact on maternal health, placental function and fetal development, proposing effective interventions for optimizing vitamin D levels during pregnancy and early childhood. We therefore invite original research papers, review articles, meta-analyses and short communications based on clinical and preclinical data on this topic. 

We hope that the new knowledge generated from this Special Issue will provide improved evidence regarding the mechanisms and causes of vitamin D deficiency, optimal supplementation and health benefits for both pregnant women and the next generation.

Dr. Pinar Bor
Dr. Agnete Larsen
Guest Editors

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• epigenetics
• fetal development
• inflammation
• metabolic disorders
• metabolomics
• microbiota
• nutrition
• offspring
• placenta
• pregnancy
• pregnancy complications
• vitamin D
• vitamin D receptor
• vitamin D deficiency
• disease