Association Between Maternal and Neonatal Serum Vitamin D Levels and the Incidence of Early-Onset Sepsis

Early-onset neonatal sepsis (EOS) is a systemic infection that occurs within the first week of life.

This study investigated the association of serum vitamin D levels in pregnant women and their neonates with the prevalence of EOS.

This case-control study was performed among 50 term/late pre-term neonates admitted to our NICU due to EOS, alongside 50 healthy neonates matched for gestational age range and sex. Maternal and neonatal serum vitamin D levels were measured. The criteria for diagnosing EOS included any/combination of: respiratory, cardiovascular, hemodynamic, neurological, gastrointestinal, body temperature, or metabolic signs. For sepsis cases, CBC, CRP, blood type, blood culture, chest X ray, and in some cases, and CSF analysis and culture were tested. Mothers’ clinical history was collected.

Each group included 30 (60%) male and 20 (40%) female neonates. Birth weight averages were 2772 ± 667 and 3215 ± 349 grams in the case and control groups, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean serum vitamin D levels were 49.75 ± 25.53 and 56.41 ± 18.17 nmol/L in the case and control groups, respectively. The control group mothers had a significantly higher vitamin D level (68.24 nmol/L versus 55.01 in mothers of sepsis cases, p=0.005) and showed a correlation with the vitamin D levels of their neonates (R = 0.731, P < 0.001), while the data failed to show a correlation between vitamin D level in mothers and their neonates in the sepsis group (R = 0.241, P = 0.115). C-section delivery was more prevalent among the sepsis cases (P < 0.001).

Early-onset neonatal sepsis is associated with vitamin D deficiency in neonates and their mothers, low birth weight, and being delivered by C-section.