High-Dose Monthly Maternal Cholecalciferol Supplementation during Breastfeeding Affects Maternal and Infant Vitamin D Status at 5 Months Postpartum: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Study answer

What this study found

Maternal vitamin D status improved with both cholecalciferol doses, and the 100,000 IU/month regimen also improved infant vitamin D status by 20 weeks postpartum. Maternal 25(OH)D increased from 4 weeks to 20 weeks postpartum by 10.8 nmol/L with 50,000 IU/month (P = 0.041, adjusted) and 20.7 nmol/L with 100,000 IU/month (P < 0.001, adjusted). In infants, the adjusted change in 25(OH)D from cord blood to 20 weeks was 5.0 nmol/L with 50,000 IU/month (P = 0.54) and 19.1 nmol/L with 100,000 IU/month (P = 0.025). At study end, infant 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L was 29% with 50,000 IU/month and 19% with…

Study & population

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy women in New Zealand who planned to exclusively breastfeed, and their healthy exclusively breastfed infants.

Intervention

Monthly oral cholecalciferol tablets were self-administered from 4 weeks postpartum to 16 weeks postpartum, with a last dose at 16 weeks.

Key limitation

The active-arm sample sizes were small, and the trial was conducted in healthy, predominantly New Zealand European mothers in one New Zealand center, which limits generalizability.

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Original abstract