Objective: To assess if early pregnancy (≤14 weeks of gestation) 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level is associated with risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
Methods: A nested case-control study (60 women in each arm) was conducted at Saad Abualila Hospital (Khartoum, Sudan) during the period of January to November 2017. Clinical and obstetrical data were gathered, 25(OH)D concentration was measured at the first prenatal visit, and a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed at 24-28 weeks of gestation.
Results: Compared with women without GDM, in women with GDM, the median of the 25(OH)D level was significantly lower (7.3 [interquartile range 5.7-8.8] ng/mL versus 8.4 [interquartile range 6.6-11.9] ng/mL, P=0.001). All women in the study (with and without GDM) had vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D<20 ng/mL). The results of the logistic regression showed that a low 25(OH)D level was the only factor associated with GDM (odds ratio [OR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73-0.95, P=0.010). Women with 25(OH)D less than 6.0 ng/mL were at a higher risk of GDM (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.29-8.12, P=0.012).
Conclusion: A low 25(OH)D level in early pregnancy was associated with increased risk of GDM. This finding might be useful in predicting GDM.
Keywords: 25-hydroxyvitamin D; Gestational diabetes; Pregnancy; Sudan; Vitamin D.
© 2020 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.