Does vitamin D blood level affect outcome of pregnancy?



Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION3

Introduction to the Problem3

Background of the Problem5

Statement of the Problem6

Purpose of the Study6

Hypothesis8

Rationale9

Relevance11

Significance of the Study14

Nature of the Study16

Definition of Terms16

Assumptions and Limitations17

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Introduction to the Problem

Vitamin D is now considered such an important fertility nutrient,  one group of Yale researchers devoted an entire study to learning what happens when levels decline.  Here they studied 67 women who had problems conceiving - and found that 93% of them were low in vitamin D.  According to researcher Dr Lubna Pal, “ Of note, not a single patient with either ovulatory disturbance or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)  demonstrated normal Vitamin D levels; 39 per cent of those with ovulatory disturbance and 38 per cent of those with PCOS had serum 25OHD levels consistent with deficiency. “ In another study, women who lost their menstrual cycle and were considered infertile  due to PCOS   resumed their periods and became pregnant when vitamin D levels were increased.   If that were not enough to get you to run right out to the nearest health food store and stock up on vitamin D supplements,   consider this:   Vitamin D is intrinsic to controlling blood levels of calcium. And when calcium levels go down, the rate of PMS climbs!   More importantly, however, the reverse is also true - when calcium levels are sufficient,   PMS is reduced - and ultimately that means fertility can prosper. In studies conducted by  University of Massachusetts researcher Elizabeth R. Bertone-Johnson, ScD,   and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine,  it was learned that when the intake of both calcium and vitamin D is high, the risk of PMS is  significantly reduced. In fact, they found that women who ate just four servings a  day of low fat dairy or yogurt, or drank orange  juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D had up to a 40% reduced risk of PMS. When PMS is under control you will simply feel better with far less stress - which in turn means that all hormone activity will be better balanced. But more importantly,  since PMS is a condition that is  underscored by a reproductive hormone imbalance,  reducing your risk of this problem also means helping to insure the proper hormone balance necessary for a quick and easy pregnancy.

The very latest research shows that Vitamin D deficiencies may be linked to a higher rate of bacterial vaginosis (BV)  a very common  intimate infection that   has been linked to infertility. Indeed, not only can this infection create a hostile envioronment that can negatively impact sperm,  if left untreated, BV can quickly turn into a a much more serious condition known as PID - pelvic inflammatory disease.  This infection can easily  spread into  the  fallopian tubes,  ovaries and even the uterus  and not only  directly and immediately impact your ability to get pregnant, but also create scar tissue that continue to interfere with conception long after the infection clears.   Moreover, if you do happen to ...