Effect of Maternal Vitamin D and Serum Calcium Levels on Mode of Delivery

Vitamin D deficiency is common in pregnant women. It plays an important role in calcium metabolism as well. There are inconsistent findings as to whether vitamin D and calcium levels affect the mode of delivery, whether vaginal, instrumental or operative. We designed a retrospective cohort study reviewing women who delivered in King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) in the Kingdom of Bahrain from January 2021 until July 2021 to establish whether there is a relationship. 103 women were included in this study. We found no statistically significant relationship between vitamin D and calcium levels and the mode of delivery. Further studies with a larger sample size are warranted to determine the relationship between vitamin D and calcium levels and the mode of delivery. The role of vitamin D and calcium supplementation at improving pregnancy outcomes also needs to be determined.

Keywords: vitamin D; serum calcium; Cesarean section; vitamin D deficiency; maternal health; vacuum delivery; mode of delivery.