In the United States, at least 50% of breastfeeding mothers are vitamin D deficient, increasing risk for vitamin D deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants. A gap in knowledge exists regarding best practices in maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and lactation that will yield adequate infant vitamin D levels. The objective of this study was to identify the combined effect of maternal prenatal and postnatal vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D transfer to exclusively breastfed infants. Additionally, due to the immune modulating effects of vitamin D, maternal pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured across pregnancy and the postpartum. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial design was used. A total of 16 pregnant women were enrolled in the study at 24-28 weeks gestation. The control group (N= 6) received a prenatal vitamin containing vitamin D 400 IU daily plus a placebo void of vitamin D. The experimental group (N=7) received the same prenatal vitamin plus a capsule containing 3400 IU vitamin D, for a total of 3800 IU daily. Participants continued their assigned supplements through 4-6 weeks of lactation. Pertinent pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal health data were collected on maternal and infant participants. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were measured in maternal participants at enrollment and in both maternal and infant participants at delivery and after 4-6 weeks of lactation. Maternal plasma TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10 were measured at enrollment, delivery and 4-6 weeks of lactation. There was a significant effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D at delivery (p=0.044) and at 4-6 weeks of lactation (p=0.002). A significant difference in the infant participant groups at delivery was also found (p=0.017), however this was not significant at 4-6 weeks of lactation (p=0.256). Controlling for maternal baseline using repeated measures techniques, the overall effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on infant 25-hydroxyvitamin D approached significance (p=0.065). There was no impact of vitamin D supplementation on maternal cytokine production. This study adds novel information regarding the impact of continuous prenatal to postpartum maternal vitamin D supplementation on the vitamin D status of exclusively breastfed infants.
","abstract_html":"<p>In the United States, at least 50% of breastfeeding mothers are vitamin D deficient, increasing risk for vitamin D deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants. A gap in knowledge exists regarding best practices in maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and lactation that will yield adequate infant vitamin D levels. The objective of this study was to identify the combined effect of maternal prenatal and postnatal vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D transfer to exclusively breastfed infants. Additionally, due to the immune modulating effects of vitamin D, maternal pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured across pregnancy and the postpartum. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial design was used. A total of 16 pregnant women were enrolled in the study at 24-28 weeks gestation. The control group (N= 6) received a prenatal vitamin containing vitamin D 400 IU daily plus a placebo void of vitamin D. The experimental group (N=7) received the same prenatal vitamin plus a capsule containing 3400 IU vitamin D, for a total of 3800 IU daily. Participants continued their assigned supplements through 4-6 weeks of lactation. Pertinent pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal health data were collected on maternal and infant participants. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were measured in maternal participants at enrollment and in both maternal and infant participants at delivery and after 4-6 weeks of lactation. Maternal plasma TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10 were measured at enrollment, delivery and 4-6 weeks of lactation. There was a significant effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D at delivery (p=0.044) and at 4-6 weeks of lactation (p=0.002). A significant difference in the infant participant groups at delivery was also found (p=0.017), however this was not significant at 4-6 weeks of lactation (p=0.256). Controlling for maternal baseline using repeated measures techniques, the overall effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on infant 25-hydroxyvitamin D approached significance (p=0.065). There was no impact of vitamin D supplementation on maternal cytokine production. This study adds novel information regarding the impact of continuous prenatal to postpartum maternal vitamin D supplementation on the vitamin D status of exclusively breastfed infants.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Thiele, Doria K."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Nursing","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Cindy M. Anderson"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:26:30Z","subjects":["Breastfeeding, Breast milk, Developmental origins, Early nutrition, Lactation, Vitamin D"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.und.edu/theses/1485","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Cindy M. Anderson"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Thiele, Doria K."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Nursing"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Breastfeeding, Breast milk, Developmental origins, Early nutrition, Lactation, Vitamin D"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.und.edu/theses/1485"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In the United States, at least 50% of breastfeeding mothers are vitamin D deficient, increasing risk for vitamin D deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants. A gap in knowledge exists regarding best practices in maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and lactation that will yield adequate infant vitamin D levels. The objective of this study was to identify the combined effect of maternal prenatal and postnatal vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D transfer to exclusively breastfed infants. Additionally, due to the immune modulating effects of vitamin D, maternal pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured across pregnancy and the postpartum. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial design was used. A total of 16 pregnant women were enrolled in the study at 24-28 weeks gestation. The control group (N= 6) received a prenatal vitamin containing vitamin D 400 IU daily plus a placebo void of vitamin D. The experimental group (N=7) received the same prenatal vitamin plus a capsule containing 3400 IU vitamin D, for a total of 3800 IU daily. Participants continued their assigned supplements through 4-6 weeks of lactation. Pertinent pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal health data were collected on maternal and infant participants. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were measured in maternal participants at enrollment and in both maternal and infant participants at delivery and after 4-6 weeks of lactation. Maternal plasma TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10 were measured at enrollment, delivery and 4-6 weeks of lactation. There was a significant effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D at delivery (p=0.044) and at 4-6 weeks of lactation (p=0.002). A significant difference in the infant participant groups at delivery was also found (p=0.017), however this was not significant at 4-6 weeks of lactation (p=0.256). Controlling for maternal baseline using repeated measures techniques, the overall effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on infant 25-hydroxyvitamin D approached significance (p=0.065). There was no impact of vitamin D supplementation on maternal cytokine production. This study adds novel information regarding the impact of continuous prenatal to postpartum maternal vitamin D supplementation on the vitamin D status of exclusively breastfed infants.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Impact Of Continuous Prenatal And Early Postpartum Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation On The Vitamin D Status Of Exclusively Breastfed Infants"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Cindy M. Anderson"],"dc:creator":["Thiele, Doria K."],"dc:description.abstract":["In the United States, at least 50% of breastfeeding mothers are vitamin D deficient, increasing risk for vitamin D deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants. A gap in knowledge exists regarding best practices in maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and lactation that will yield adequate infant vitamin D levels. The objective of this study was to identify the combined effect of maternal prenatal and postnatal vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D transfer to exclusively breastfed infants. Additionally, due to the immune modulating effects of vitamin D, maternal pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured across pregnancy and the postpartum. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial design was used. A total of 16 pregnant women were enrolled in the study at 24-28 weeks gestation. The control group (N= 6) received a prenatal vitamin containing vitamin D 400 IU daily plus a placebo void of vitamin D. The experimental group (N=7) received the same prenatal vitamin plus a capsule containing 3400 IU vitamin D, for a total of 3800 IU daily. Participants continued their assigned supplements through 4-6 weeks of lactation. Pertinent pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal health data were collected on maternal and infant participants. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were measured in maternal participants at enrollment and in both maternal and infant participants at delivery and after 4-6 weeks of lactation. Maternal plasma TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10 were measured at enrollment, delivery and 4-6 weeks of lactation. There was a significant effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D at delivery (p=0.044) and at 4-6 weeks of lactation (p=0.002). A significant difference in the infant participant groups at delivery was also found (p=0.017), however this was not significant at 4-6 weeks of lactation (p=0.256). Controlling for maternal baseline using repeated measures techniques, the overall effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on infant 25-hydroxyvitamin D approached significance (p=0.065). There was no impact of vitamin D supplementation on maternal cytokine production. This study adds novel information regarding the impact of continuous prenatal to postpartum maternal vitamin D supplementation on the vitamin D status of exclusively breastfed infants.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.und.edu/theses/1485"],"dc:subject":["Breastfeeding, Breast milk, Developmental origins, Early nutrition, Lactation, Vitamin D"],"dc:title":["The Impact Of Continuous Prenatal And Early Postpartum Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation On The Vitamin D Status Of Exclusively Breastfed Infants"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Nursing"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:26:30Z"}