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Pregnancy guidelines on vitamin D remain relevant

AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, has recently stated that there is no need to change the Australian guidelines for vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy. He has said that if a pregnant woman’s vitamin D levels are normal there is no need to take supplements and only those women with a diagnosed vitamin D deficiency should be offered supplements.

“There is no case at all for routine vitamin D supplementation of pregnant women,” he told The New Daily.

“Profound vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets. So pregnant women at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency should be screened as part of their antenatal care,” Dr Gannon said.

A large review of the existing research in The British Medical Journal (BMJ) found insufficient evidence to determine if vitamin D supplementation is beneficial.

Read the BMJ article here.

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