Navaneethan, PreethiMani, ThenmozhiShrestha, PraditaRegi, AnnieThomas, NiranjanSimon, Anna2020-10-162020-10-162019-07Navaneethan Preethi, Mani Thenmozhi, Shrestha Pradita, Regi Annie, Thomas Niranjan, Simon Anna. Vitamin D status of pregnant women and their infants in South India: VIPIS study. International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2019 Jul; 8(7): 2820-28252320-17702320-1789http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/206869Background: Aim was to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their infants and to analyse the effect of maternal vitamin D deficiency on the infant.Methods: A prospective study was done in the Department of Obstetrics and Neonatology in a tertiary centre in South India with 150 women seen in the antenatal clinic after 36 weeks of pregnancy were recruited. Serum vitamin D levels were obtained. Babies were followed up and sampled once between 10 and 20 weeks of age for vitamin D, calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase. Vitamin D levels less than 20 ng/ml was considered as deficiency. Analysis of the data was done using SPSS 16.0 version.Results: Vitamin D deficiency was seen in 64.8% of the pregnant women. Follow up of 76 babies showed vitamin D deficiency in 72.6% infants. Significantly high levels of alkaline phosphatase were noted in infants who were born to mothers with vitamin D deficiency, which indicates risk of developing bone disease.Conclusions: This study highlights the high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their infants in South India in a region with abundant sunshine. This study also emphasises treating vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy to reduce the risk of developing rickets in infancy.InfantsHypovitaminosisPrevalencePregnancySouth IndiaVitamin DJournal ArticleIndiaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unit III, Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, Indiaepartment of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Neonatology, Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Paediatrics, Unit I, Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India