Abstract:
Background: Our objective was to assess whether dietary vitamin D (vitD) intake and sunlight ex-
posure during pregnancy is associated with birth outcomes in a healthy Ghanaian population.
Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study that included 703 mother-infant pairs accessing
postnatal services at the five main health facilities in Cape Coast, Ghana was conducted in 2016.
Information on sunlight exposure practices and consumption of vitD-rich foods during pregnancy
was collected.
Results: A 1 mg increase in vitD intake resulted in a statistically significant 0.00505 weeks increase in
gestational age (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.00005, 0.01004). Mothers classified in the first
quartile of vitD intake had 37% (prevalence ratio ¼ 1.37, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.69) increased risk of pre-
term birth (PTB) compared to their counterparts classified in the fourth quartile. Decreased vitD in-
take was also associated with low-to-moderate Apgar score.
Conclusion: Nutrition education of mothers on the importance of screening for vitD deficiency
during early months of pregnancy is recommended.
