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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Anne Merewood, MPH, IBCLC¹, Supriya Mehta, MHS, PhD², Patricia Francisco¹, Xena Grossman, BA¹, Kimberly Newton, BSc¹, Lindsay MacAuley, MPH¹, and Howard Bauchner, MD, MPH³. (1) Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, 91 E Concord St 4th Fl Rm 4121, Boston, MA 02118, (617) 414-7902, Anne.Merewood@bmc.org, (2) Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Dowling 1 South, Rm 1334, 1 Boston Medical Center Place, Boston, MA 02118, (3) Division of General Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Rm 4210, Boston, MA 02118

Background: Newly delivered women and their newborns are at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Adequate vitamin D is needed for normal growth and development. In addition, guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics state that exclusively breastfed infants should receive vitamin D supplements by 2 months. Objective: The study will determine vitamin D levels in Black, Hispanic, and White mothers and newborns in spring, summer, fall, and winter in a northern US climate (Boston). Methods: From a blood draw postpartum, we analyze 25(OH)D levels to measure vitamin D status in mothers and infant. Levels below 37.4 nmol (mother) or 27.5 nmol (infant) are considered deficient. Results: Between March 21 and December 20, 2005 (3 complete seasons) we enrolled 81 mother/infant pairs. Preliminary results for spring and summer show that among infants, the mean 25(OH)D level was 67.2 nmol (median 65 nmol; range 17.4 – 130.6 nmol). For mothers, the mean 25(OH)D level was 88.9 nmol (median 82.6 nmol, range 15-203 nmol). Black infants had a mean 25(OH)D level of 61.4 nmol, and White infants, of 73 nmol. Black mothers had a mean of 80.7 nmol, and White mothers, 91.3 nmol. Six (13%) infants and four (8%) mothers were vitamin D deficient in the spring and summer months. We anticipate greater deficiency in fall and winter. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency exists even in the summer months among mother/infant pairs in a northern climate.

Learning Objectives:

• The learner will be able to identify the significance of vitamin D levels in mothers and newborns
• The learner will be able to describe how vitamin D levels in mothers and newborns are of importance to the breastfeeding community
• The learner will be able to describe vitamin D levels in an urban population of mothers and newborns in Boston.

Keywords: Breast Feeding, Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation