Association between maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and the risk of acute respiratory infections in offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a leading cause of mortality in infants. Vitamin D supports innate antimicrobial effector mechanisms in leucocytes and respiratory epithelium. Maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy has been proposed as a preventive strategy, however, an up-to-date synthesis of available data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) has not been conducted.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of aggregate data from RCTs of maternal vitamin D supplementation for prevention of ARIs in offspring. Data were analysed using a random-effects model. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science and the ClinicalTrials.gov from database inception to 5th August 2025. N

SUBMITTER: Jolliffe DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12720986 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature