A new research claims that vitamin D is essential for pregnant women in order to have their kids come out with stronger and healthier bones. This was proven to be more effective than women taking placebo pills during pregnancy.
In an article published by HNGN, scientists found out the significance of vitamin D on a pregnant woman, as it contributes to the child gaining denser and stronger bones. But their research only showed this great result to women who are pregnant during the winter. Babies who are born in the summer don't exactly benefit from it since their moms are possibly getting more sun than those moms in the winter.
One of the authors of the research, Cyprus Cooper said, "We found that vitamin D is safe and effective in raising levels in mothers whose babies are born during winter months." The team sampled more than 1,100 British women who were in the middle of their pregnancy.
They gave them vitamin D and placebo pills but found no effect on these women. But it was proven effective to those who were pregnant during the winter and who are in the final months of their pregnancy, as it made their child have healthier and denser bones.
In a paper released by the University of Southampton, the lead scientist for this study, Nicholas Harvey also a professor from the said school said, "Babies' bones strengthen during the last stages of pregnancy. Since sunlight is our most important source of vitamin D, mothers' levels of vitamin D tend to drop from summer to winter, and babies born in the winter months tend to have lower bone density than those born during the summer."
He also added that pregnant women who are supplemented well with vitamin D during their pregnancy is helpful because pregnancy itself could make them lose the said vitamins in the body. Not enough vitamin D would greatly affect the bones of their baby on the way.
