Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread problem especially in the developing countries like Iran. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency differs from moderate to severe among Iranian women, particularly among pregnant women, and it can cause some problems such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), premature labor and primary cesarean section. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the mode of delivery is related to serum vitamin D levels or not and if there is any difference in the percentage of cesarean section between vitamin D-deficient and vitamin D-insufficient women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out between the April 2012 and April 2014 in a woman university hospital, Tehran, Iran. One hundred and eighty-six women aged between 17 and 52 years old (Mean age 28.46 and SD5.97) were surveyed in this study. The study group comprised of (N=186) consecutive cases attending Tehran Women General Hospital Clinic for normal vaginal delivery or cesarean section. Women who underwent cesarean section due to previous cesarean delivery were not recruited for the study. The participants were divided into two groups: women with vaginal delivery and women with cesarean section. Serum vitamin D concentration (25(OH) Vitamin D) was measured for each patient. Concentration of serum vitamin D was compared between these 2 groups. Results: One hundred and twenty-eight (68.8%) women had cesarean section and 58 (32.2%) had vaginal delivery. Median and inter-quartile range (IQR) of serum 25(OH) D were 13.64 and 12.47 ng/ml respectively, among women with cesarean section, compared to 11.68 and 12.59 ng/ml in those with vaginal delivery. No statistically significant difference was detected in serum vitamin D between these 2 groups (P=0.72). In addition, no statistically significant difference was detected between women with vitamin D deficiency and women who were vitamin D insufficient (P=0.8). Conclusion: In this study, there was no association between serum vitamin D levels and delivery mode.