The impact of vitamin D deficiency on gestational COVID-19 infection

Background: A worldwide pandemic infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2020 caused an outbreak of the disease called COVID-19 infection. Multiple researchers investigated the effect of serum Vitamin D levels in preventing and treating infectious respiratory syndromes. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone and fat-soluble vitamin which helps preserve a strong immune system and is frequently taken as supplements for the prevention of viral and bacterial illnesses. The serum Vitamin D levels in pregnant women have led to discussions on the severity of the clinical outcomes and its possible role in preventing a COVID-19 infection by treating Vitamin D deficiency with supplements. The purpose of this study is to describe the most recent studies on the impact of vitamin D levels on pregnant women with COVID-19 infection. Methods: This is a narrative literature review in which PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, Cochrane and Google Scholar database were used to select the most relevant research published in English before December 2022 and available to the authors. Results and Conclusion: Although lower serum vitamin D levels are associated with a higher chance of contracting a serious disease caused by several respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2, they are not associated with a higher possibility of COVID-19 occurring in expecting women. Key words: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Vitamin D, Vitamin D deficiency, pregnant women