Mustafa Aveen
Department of Clinical Chemistry, College of Medicine, University of Duhok, Duhok, IRQ.
Cureus. 2024 Sep 3;16(9):e68514. doi: 10.7759/cureus.68514. eCollection 2024 Sep.
: Pregnancy is a critical period where optimal maternal and fetal health depends on adequate nutritional status. Deficiencies in essential vitamins, such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate, can result in adverse health outcomes. : This study aims to assess the serum levels of vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate in early pregnancy. : This cross-sectional research was conducted at Kurdistan Private Hospital in Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, from September 2022 to October 2023. The study included 150 pregnant women, with ages ranging from 18 to 45 years. Serum levels of vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate were measured using the Automatic Clinical Chemistry Analyzer COBAS e 411 (Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland). : The mean age of the participants was 29 years (standard deviation [SD] = 6.2 years), with ages ranging from 18 to 45 years. The average serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) level was 4,292 mIU/mL (SD = 3,947 mIU/mL), with a range of 98 to 10,000 mIU/mL. The mean serum levels were 17.8 ng/mL (SD = 11.6) for vitamin D, 367 pg/mL (SD = 245) for vitamin B12, and 11.5 ng/mL (SD = 4.6) for folate. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was significant, with 92 participants (61.3%) having levels below 20 ng/mL, 39 participants (26%) having insufficient levels ranging from 20 to 29 ng/mL, and only 19 participants (12.7%) having sufficient levels between 30 and 100 ng/mL. No cases of vitamin D toxicity (>150 ng/mL) were observed. Regarding vitamin B12, 32 participants (21.3%) had deficient levels (<200 pg/mL), while 118 participants (78.7%) had normal levels. Folate analysis revealed that 3 participants (2%) had moderate deficiency (2-3 ng/mL), 14 participants (9.3%) had mild deficiency (3-6 ng/mL), and there were no cases of severe folate deficiency (<2 ng/mL). Pearson correlation analysis showed weak correlations between the study variables, with the strongest being a weak negative correlation between age and serum folate levels (-0.18). : The study found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among the pregnant women included in the study, while the levels of folate and vitamin B12 were comparable to worldwide estimates. These findings focus attention on the importance of monitoring and addressing nutritional deficiencies at the beginning and throughout pregnancy. They also underline the need for preventive health interventions to correct these deficiencies and achieve the best outcomes for both maternal and fetal health.
怀孕是一个关键时期，在此期间，母婴的最佳健康状况依赖于充足的营养状态。必需维生素如维生素D、维生素B12和叶酸的缺乏会导致不良健康后果。本研究旨在评估孕早期维生素D、维生素B12和叶酸的血清水平。这项横断面研究于2022年9月至2023年10月在伊拉克库尔德斯坦地区杜胡克的库尔德斯坦私立医院进行。该研究纳入了150名年龄在18至45岁之间的孕妇。使用自动临床化学分析仪COBAS e 411（罗氏诊断公司，瑞士巴塞尔）测量维生素D、维生素B12和叶酸的血清水平。参与者的平均年龄为29岁（标准差[SD]=6.2岁），年龄范围为18至45岁。血清人绒毛膜促性腺激素（HCG）的平均水平为4292 mIU/mL（SD=3947 mIU/mL），范围为98至10000 mIU/mL。维生素D的平均血清水平为17.8 ng/mL（SD=11.6），维生素B12为367 pg/mL（SD=245），叶酸为11.5 ng/mL（SD=4.6）。维生素D缺乏的患病率很高，92名参与者（61.3%）的水平低于20 ng/mL，39名参与者（26%）的水平在20至29 ng/mL之间不足，只有19名参与者（12.7%） 的水平在30至100 ng/mL之间充足。未观察到维生素D中毒病例（>150 ng/mL）。关于维生素B12，32名参与者（21.3%）的水平不足（<200 pg/mL），而118名参与者（78.7%）的水平正常。叶酸分析显示，3名参与者（2%）有中度缺乏（2 - 3 ng/mL），14名参与者（9.3%）有轻度缺乏（3 - 6 ng/mL），没有严重叶酸缺乏病例（<2 ng/mL）。Pearson相关性分析显示研究变量之间存在弱相关性，最强的是年龄与血清叶酸水平之间的弱负相关（-0.18）。该研究发现，纳入研究的孕妇中维生素D缺乏的患病率很高，而叶酸和维生素B12的水平与全球估计值相当。这些发现使人们关注在怀孕初期及整个孕期监测和解决营养缺乏问题的重要性。它们还强调了采取预防性健康干预措施来纠正这些缺乏并实现母婴健康最佳结果的必要性。
