Vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women or infants for preventing allergic diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Luo C

Published in Chinese Medical Journal

Methodology

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of maternal or infant vitamin D supplementation reporting allergic disease outcomes in offspring, with pooled risk ratios and subgroup analyses.

Key Findings

Meta-analysis of randomised trials of vitamin D given to pregnant women or infants found no significant overall reduction in asthma, wheeze, eczema/atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis or food allergy in offspring, although prenatal supplementation showed a borderline reduction in recurrent wheeze in early childhood in some analyses.

Conclusions

Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy or infancy does not reliably prevent allergic disease in children, with at most a weak signal for early recurrent wheeze.

Limitations

Heterogeneous dosing regimens, timing and baseline vitamin D status across trials; outcome definitions for wheeze and eczema vary; follow-up in most trials limited to early childhood; moderate statistical heterogeneity.