Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in American women of childbearing age, and is frequently suffered by pregnant women. It occurs when the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria. BV puts pregnant women at increased risk for a variety of complications, such as preterm delivery. Now, researchers say that vitamin D may play a role in BV because it exerts influence over a number of aspects of the immune system. This hypothesis is circumstantially supported by the fact that BV is far more common in black than white women, and vitamin D levels are substantially lower in black women.
To assess whether poor vitamin D status may play a role in predisposing a woman to BV, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Magee-Womens Research Institute studied 469 pregnant women. Reporting their findings in the Journal of Nutrition, the researchers said that the findings suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with BV in the first 4 mo of pregnancy. Further, poor vitamin D status may contribute to the strong racial disparity in the prevalence of BV in US women.
Related:
Majority Of Newborns Vitamin D Deficient
PMS Minimized With Calcium And Vitamin D
Source: American Society for Nutrition
