The Impact of Prenatal Vitamin D on Enamel Defects and Tooth Erosion: A Systematic Review

Prenatal Vitamin D has been suggested to be critical for dental health in children, affecting outcomes including the prevalence of enamel defects and tooth erosion. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the potential impact of prenatal Vitamin D levels on these dental health outcomes. A total of seven studies, involving 6978 participants, were included after a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from 2013 to June 2023. The average age of mothers varied across studies, with Vitamin D levels or supplementation practices displaying significant variation among the study populations. The age of children at examination ranged from 3.6 to 6.6 years. The analysis demonstrated a diverse association between Vitamin D levels and dental outcomes, with enamel defects reported in 21.1% to 64% of the children and opacities ranging from 36% to 79.5% across studies. Maternal Vitamin D insufficiency was identified as a significant risk factor for enamel defects in one study (OR: 3.55), whereas high prenatal Vitamin D levels indicated a protective effect against Hypomineralized Second Primary Molars (OR: 0.84) and Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (OR: 0.95) in another. Conversely, low Vitamin D levels increased the risk of enamel hypoplasia (OR: 1.29) and dental decay. The maternal and child demographics varied greatly across the studies, and the assessment and prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency were heterogenous. This review illuminates the potential influence of prenatal Vitamin D on dental health in children, underscoring the importance of adequate Vitamin D levels during pregnancy. However, more robust research is required to establish the optimal Vitamin D intake during pregnancy to ensure healthy dental outcomes in children

Comparative Analysis of Hematological and Biochemical Changes in Neonates among Women with and without COVID-19 Infection during Pregnancy

The aim of this study is to evaluate the test results of neonates delivered by COVID-19-positive mothers during pregnancy with those of neonates born to unvaccinated mothers who are COVID-19-free. A cohort study was conducted on 367 pregnant women who gave birth at Premiere Hospital, Timisoara, Romania, between May 2021 and February 2022. Two groups were established: Group 1, with 167 pregnant women infected with COVID-19, and Group 2, with 200 pregnant women who were not affected by COVID-19 during pregnancy. Maternal laboratory examination did not exhibit significant variations except for platelet count. In neonatal blood tests, WBC had a significantly lower median value in the group born to COVID-19-free mothers. Neonatal anemia and leukocytosis showed slightly higher prevalence in Group 1, but the differences were not statistically significant. This study suggests that maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy does not have significant associations with most maternal and neonatal characteristics