Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy reduces postpartum fat mass in adolescents: A randomized trial

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#pregnancy #female #adolescent #humans #calcium

Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy reduces postpartum fat mass in adolescents: A randomized trial

Rached et al., 2023 | Am J Hum Biol | Rct

Citation

Rached Verônica, Diogenes Maria Eduarda Leão, ... Bezerra Flávia Fioruci. Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy reduces postpartum fat mass in adolescents: A randomized trial. Am J Hum Biol. 2023-Sep;35(9):e23911. doi:10.1002/ajhb.23911

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy during adolescence may increase the risk of overweight/obesity. There is evidence that increasing calcium intake, alone or vitamin D-combined, may favor loss of weight and/or fat mass. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that calcium supplementation during pregnancy reduces excessive fat accumulation during postpartum period. We aimed to investigate the effect of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on body composition measurements throughout 1 year postpartum in Brazilian adolescents with habitually low calcium intake (~600 mg/day). METHODS: Adolescents (14-19 years) were randomly assigned to receive a daily supplement (600 mg of calcium plus 200 UI of cholecalciferol, n = 30) or a placebo (n = 26) from 26 weeks of gestation until parturition. Body composition was determined at 5, 20, and 56 weeks postpartum by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. The effects of intervention group, time point, as well as their interaction were assessed using repeated measures mixed-effects models. RESULTS: In the adjusted analysis, those supplemented showed lower total body mass [mean difference = -3.32 kg; confidence interval (CI) 95% -6.12 to -0.52 kg], trunk (-1.25 kg; CI 95% -2.34 to -0.15 kg), android (-0.29 kg; CI 95% -0.53 to -0.04 kg) and subcutaneous (-0.23 kg; CI 95% -0.43 to -0.03 kg) fat masses. In the supplemented group, BMI and postpartum weight retention significantly decreased from 5 to 20 weeks (-0.90 kg/m2 and -1.76 kg, respectively; p < .05). At 56 weeks, BMI was still lower (-1.22 kg/m2 ; p < .05) than 5 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that increasing calcium intake through supplementation in combination with vitamin D contributes to a more pronounced reduction in total body mass overtime, mostly as a consequence of fat mass reductions in central body regions. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01732328.

Key Findings

In the adjusted analysis, those supplemented showed lower total body mass [mean difference = -3.32 kg; confidence interval (CI) 95% -6.12 to -0.52 kg], trunk (-1.25 kg; CI 95% -2.34 to -0.15 kg), android (-0.29 kg; CI 95% -0.53 to -0.04 kg) and subcutaneous (-0.23 kg; CI 95% -0.43 to -0.03 kg) fat masses. In the supplemented group, BMI and postpartum weight retention significantly decreased from 5 to 20 weeks (-0.90 kg/m2 and -1.76 kg, respectively; p < .05). At 56 weeks, BMI was still lower (-1

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 30
Age Range 14-19 years
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Pregnancy
  • Female
  • Adolescent
  • Humans
  • Calcium
  • Vitamin D
  • Cholecalciferol
  • Postpartum Period
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Vitamins

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Rct
  • Publication Types: Randomized Controlled Trial, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Vertical: calcium-weight

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09