Doctor world

Low vitamin D in women associated with an increased risk of HIV transmission from mother to child (mother-to-child transmission of HIV / MTCT) and infant mortality. It was reported the researchers in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, online version.

"Increased risk of HIV infection or death at birth observed in babies born to mothers with low vitamin D levels at the beginning; level low vitamin D in mothers was also associated with HIV transmission through breastfeeding, and infant mortality is higher during follow-up , "wrote the researchers.

It is known that vitamin D levels may affect immune system function and that maternal vitamin D levels affect fetal growth. Furthermore, supplementation of vitamin D therapy showed an improvement of tuberculosis (TB), which is meaningful when associated with HIV because TB is the only one of the most important causes of illness and death with AIDS.

However, few studies examining the effects of vitamin D levels in pregnant women are HIV-positive and adverse outcome, including birth, MTCT, infant mortality during the early months of life, or the transmission of HIV due to breastfeeding.

Research on the use of vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women are HIV-positive people in Tanzania gives researchers the opportunity to assess the importance of maternal vitamin D levels of these results.

A total of 884 women who were included in the analysis of the researchers. The majority (80%) had asymptomatic HIV disease. Vitamin supplementation began between weeks 12 and 27 of gestation. However, the provision did not include vitamin D, vitamin levels are assessed at the beginning.

No relationship was found between vitamin D levels and poor pregnancy outcome such as premature birth, or babies born with low weight, or infants born with a small size compared to the age of the womb.

However, maternal vitamin D is low at the beginning (below 32 ng / ml), was associated with a 49% increased risk of fetal death or HIV infection at birth (CI: 95%; 7-109%), compared to infants of mothers with vitamin levels D is enough.

In addition, infants of mothers with vitamin D levels are low 50% greater risk of contracting HIV at six weeks compared to infants of mothers with vitamin D levels are normal (CI: 95%; 1,02-2,20).

After 24 months of follow-up, 30% of infants were HIV-positive. Infants of mothers with vitamin D levels are not sufficient, the HIV-negative at the age of six weeks twice as much risk of contracting HIV from the mother during breastfeeding than infants of mothers with vitamin D levels are sufficient (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 2, 03; CI: 95%; 1,08-3,82).

Overall MTCT rates after 24 months was 46% higher in infants of mothers with vitamin D levels are not enough, compared to infants of mothers with vitamin D levels are normal.

Further analysis by the researchers showed that women with the lowest vitamin D levels are at greatest risk of MTCT (P = 0.01), and the risk decreases as the level of vitamin D in the mother increases.

Finally, the researchers found that low vitamin D in the mother increases the risk of infant mortality during follow-up.

"Vitamin D is known to support the development of the fetal immune system; immune system is stronger perhaps more resistant to HIV infection and may explain the observed decrease in MTCT," commented the researchers.

The researchers continued, "these findings may also be associated with opportunistic infections and diseases less during follow-up and the result is a decrease in mortality. In addition, more and more evidence supporting the role of vitamin D to fight TB infection; TB is one of the major killer of HIV infected population. "

The researchers concluded that if giving vitamin D supplements have proved effective in the study, giving vitamin D "will prove to be a way that is quite simple and inexpensive way to reduce infant mortality and help to prevent MTCT is used in conjunction with HAART."