[Medical Q&A] Why do you need to supplement vitamin D during pregnancy preparation?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Shang Xuejun, Chief Physician, General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command of PLA

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be produced by the human body through sunlight exposure and can also be obtained from some foods, such as cod liver oil, mushrooms, egg yolks and animal livers. Vitamin D is important for maintaining normal blood calcium and phosphate levels, which are necessary for the normal function of all cells in the body. In addition, vitamin D can promote the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestines, promote bone hardening, and form healthy bones and teeth. During breastfeeding, this acquired reserve forms the main source of vitamin D for infants in the first few months after birth.

The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that pregnant women take 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day. Vitamin D can be supplemented through dietary sources and vitamin D preparations. Common foods containing vitamin D include: ① animal liver, such as chicken liver, duck liver, pork liver, beef liver, and lamb liver; ② various oily fish, such as herring, salmon, tuna, sardines, and saury; ③ various egg yolks, such as chicken egg yolk, duck egg yolk, and quail egg yolk.

In contrast, the most convenient source of vitamin D is the most natural sunlight, which converts 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin into vitamin D, thereby promoting the utilization of calcium in the body.