International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

In the UK, pregnant women are being advised to take vitamin D supplements during their gestation.

Despite official bodies currently offering conflicting advice, a team of researchers from University College London has said there is a "strong case" for having a daily dose of the vitamin.

The UK is one of the only countries out of the 31 the team, who published their results in the British Journal of Nutrition, examined not to recommend women of reproductive age took supplements of vitamin D or suggest pregnant women take a daily dose.

"The incidence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women in Britain is unacceptably high, especially during winter and spring," said Dr Elina Hypponen, co-author of the paper.

"We believe that the routine provision of a daily supplement throughout pregnancy would significantly decrease the number of mothers who are clearly vitamin D deficient, reducing related serious risks to their babies."

According to the UK's National Institute of Clinical Excellence, there is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy.

Posted by Paul Robertson