Reduction in Bone Loss from 5 to 20 Weeks Postpartum in Adolescents Supplemented with Calcium Plus Vitamin D during Pregnancy Is Not Sustained at 1 Year Postpartum: Follow-up Study of a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether calcium plus vitamin D supplementation in pregnant adolescents with low calcium intake reduces postpartum bone loss, specifically at the femoral neck.
Results Summary
The study found that supplementation reduced femoral neck bone loss at 20 weeks postpartum but showed no sustained effect after one year. Bone loss was more pronounced in the placebo group at 20 weeks, but differences between groups disappeared by 56 weeks.
Population
Pregnant Brazilian adolescents (14-19 years) with habitually low calcium intake (~600 mg/d).
Effective Dosage
600 mg/d calcium plus 200 IU/d cholecalciferol.
Duration
From 26 weeks of gestation until parturition.
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation | decrease | bone loss | pregnant Brazilian adolescents with habitually low calcium intake | - | reduced bone loss | #1 |
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation | decrease | bone loss at the femoral neck | adolescent mothers | - | reduces the magnitude of bone loss | #2 |
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation | no change | bone changes after 1 y postpartum | adolescent mothers | - | no sustained effect | #3 |
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation | decrease | femoral neck BMD | placebo group | -4.58 ± 0.42% | more pronounced decrease | #4 |
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation | decrease | femoral neck BMD | supplemented group | -3.15% ± 0.42% | less pronounced decrease | #5 |
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation | no change | femoral neck BMD | placebo and supplemented groups | -0.44% ± 0.71% in the placebo and -0.76% ± 0.62% in the supplemented group | no difference between groups | #6 |
BACKGROUND: Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation of pregnant Brazilian adolescents with habitually low calcium intake (∼600 mg/d) reduced bone loss during the first 20 wk postpartum. OBJECTIVE: We investigated maternal bone mass changes during the first year postpartum as a follow-up of the clinical trial. METHODS: Pregnant adolescents (14-19 y) received calcium (600 mg/d) plus cholecalciferol (200 IU/d) supplementation (n = 30) or placebo (n = 26) from 26 wk of gestation until parturition. Bone area and bone mineral content and bone mineral density (BMD) at total body, lumbar spine, and hip (total and femoral neck) were assessed by DXA at 3 time points postpartum (5 wk, 20 wk, and 56 wk). Intervention group, time postpartum, and group × time interaction effects were tested by repeated-measures mixed-effects models adjusting for calcium intake, return of menses, breastfeeding practices, and body weight. RESULTS: Time (P < 0.05) but not group affected several absolute bone measurements. There was a group × time interaction for femoral neck BMD (P = 0.045). Mean ± SE values (g/cm2) at 5 wk, 20 wk, and 56 wk were, respectively, 1.025 ± 0.026, 0.980 ± 0.026, and 1.022 ± 0.027 for the placebo group and 1.057 ± 0.025, 1.030 ± 0.024, and 1.055 ± 0.025 for the supplemented group. An interaction also was observed for percentage change in femoral neck BMD relative to 5 wk (P = 0.049), with a more pronounced decrease in the placebo group (-4.58 ± 0.42%) than in the supplemented group (-3.15% ± 0.42%) at 20 wk (P = 0.019), and no difference between groups at 56 wk (-0.44% ± 0.71% in the placebo and -0.76% ± 0.62% in the supplemented group; P = 0.65). CONCLUSIONS: Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation of the adolescent mothers reduces the magnitude of bone loss at the femoral neck from 5 to 20 wk postpartum without an effect on bone changes after 1 y postpartum, indicating that there is no sustained effect of the supplement tested.