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May 28, 2026Keywords:
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Serum vitamin D and calcium status in pregnant women in Calabar, Southern Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Vitamin D₃ plays a vital role in calcium homeostasis, which is especially important during pregnancy due to increased foeto-maternal demand. However, in many developing countries, vitamin D and calcium assessments are not routinely conducted during antenatal visits. This study evaluated maternal serum vitamin D and calcium levels among antenatal care attendees.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using systematic random sampling to recruit participants from an antenatal clinic. Serum vitamin D₃ was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while calcium levels were determined using an automated spectrophotometer enzymatic method. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 26.0, using Fisher’s Exact test, independent t-test, and Pearson correlation. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: A total of 224 pregnant women participated, with a mean age of 29.0 ± 4.8 years. The median (IQR) serum vitamin D level was 91.5 (92.8) nmol/L, with 37.5% showing insufficiency (17.9%) or deficiency (19.6%). The mean serum calcium level was 1.78 ± 0.49 mmol/L, and 76.4% were hypocalcaemic. Serum vitamin D correlated positively with gestational age and inversely with systolic blood pressure (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and hypocalcaemia among pregnant women highlights the need for routine nutritional education on vitamin D and calcium intake during antenatal care. Community-based awareness and further research to explore causal relationships are recommended to guide potential policies on screening and supplementation.
