Maternal and neonatal umbilical cord serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D among Sudanese women with normal pregnancy: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: There are few published studies on the association between maternal and umbilical cord serum vitamin D concentrations in Sub-Saharan Africans. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the association between mothers and umbilical cord 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-[OH)]D) levels.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Saad Abuelela Maternity Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. Ninety pairs of mothers and neonates (umbilical cords) were enrolled.RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) mother's age and gestational age were 28.5 (26.0-30.0) years and 38.0 (37.5-38.2) weeks, respectively. The median (IQR) umbilical cord level of 25-(OH)D was significantly higher than the median maternal level of 25-(OH)D (30.3 [18.2-38.4] vs. 20.2 [17.5], ng/mL, P=0.011). Moreover, compared to the maternal samples, a significantly low number of umbilical cord samples had a vitamin D deficiency (<= 20; 25/90 [27.8%] vs. 42/90 [46.7%], P=0.013).CONCLUSIONS: The umbilical cord 25-(OH)D levels were positively correlated with and significantly higher than the maternal 25-(OH)D levels (r=0.401).