Vitamin DDoes vitamin D in pregnancy help the mother or the baby?
Updated 3 Nov 2026
Short answer
It is not clear. A 2024 Cochrane review set aside 20 earlier trials after a check of their trustworthiness, and now includes 10. For pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and preterm birth, the evidence was very uncertain.[1] Vitamin D may lower the risk of severe bleeding after birth, but only one trial measured it. It may also lower the risk of low birthweight, but a higher risk could not be ruled out. Both results were of low certainty.[1]
The US recommended intake in pregnancy is 600 IU (15 µg) a day, and the upper limit is 4000 IU (100 µg).[2]
Sources (2)
- Vitamin D supplementation for women during pregnancy. Palacios C, Kostiuk LL, Cuthbert A, Weeks J Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2024. PMID 39077939
- Vitamin D: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov
More about vitamin d
What is vitamin D?How do you get vitamin D from sunlight and food?What is vitamin D used for?What vitamin D blood level is too low?Is vitamin D safe?Does vitamin D prevent fractures?For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.