Relationship Between Vitamin D Level and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim: To determine the correlation between vitamin D levels and gestational diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods: Cross-sectional observational study, conducted in Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, over a period of 1 year, on 350 antenatal patients, with gestational age beyond 24 weeks, keeping in mind the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Age, obstetric score, religion, BMI were noted for all patients. They underwent screening for gestational diabetes mellitus using DIPSI (Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group of India) guidelines and were divided into two groups. Vitamin D estimation by CLIA method (chemiluminescence method) was done in both groups and results were compared. Association between vitamin D levels and gestational diabetes mellitus was studied using Chi Square Test.

Results: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in antenatal patients was found to be 63.7%. 73% of gestational diabetes mellitus patients were deficient in vitamin D. There was a statistically significant association seen between vitamin D level and Gestational diabetes mellitus (p value-0.046). There was 1.34 times increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus when the vitamin D levels were deficient as compared to when the vitamin levels were within the normal range.

Conclusion: There was a high level of vitamin D deficiency in the pregnant women of North East. Due to lack of screening of vitamin D levels, many pregnant women suffer from adverse feto-maternal outcomes. There is a need to identify them early in pregnancy, provide vitamin D supplementation and to decrease the likelihood of them developing complications.