Maternal 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Preterm Birth in Twin Gestations

Lisa M. Bodnar, Dwight J. Rouse, Valerija Momirova, Alan M. Peaceman, Anthony Sciscione, Catherine Y. Spong, Michael W. Varner, Fergal D. Malone, Jay D. Iams, Brian M. Mercer, John M. Thorp Jr, Yoram Sorokin, Marshall W. Carpenter, Julie Lo, Susan M. Ramin, and Margaret Harper

OBJECTIVE:

To assess whether there was an independent association between maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations at 24-28 weeks of gestation and preterm birth in a multicenter U.S. cohort of twin pregnancies.

METHODS:

Serum samples from women who participated in a clinical trial of 17 α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate for the prevention of preterm birth in twin gestations (2004-2006) were assayed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (n=211). Gestational age was determined early in pregnancy using a rigorous algorithm. Preterm birth was defined as delivery of the first twin or death of either twin at less than 35 weeks of gestation.

RESULTS:

The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was 82.7 nmol/L (standard deviation 31.5); 40.3% of women had concentrations less than 75 nmol/L. Preterm birth at less than 35 weeks of gestation occurred in 49.4% of women with 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations less than 75 nmol/L compared with 26.2% among those with concentrations of 75 nmol/L or more (P<.001). After adjustment for maternal race and ethnicity, study site, parity, prepregnancy body mass index, season, marital status, education, gestational age at blood sampling, smoking status, and 17 α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate treatment, maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of 75 nmol/L or more was associated with a 60% reduction in the odds of preterm birth compared with concentrations less than 75 nmol/L (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2-0.8). A similar protective association was observed when studying preterm birth at less than 32 weeks of gestation (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.6) and after confounder adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS:

Late second-trimester maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations less than 75 nmol/L are associated with an increase in the risk of preterm birth in this cohort of twin pregnancies.

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Pages: 15