Vitamin D levels and perinatal depressive symptoms in women at risk: a secondary analysis of the mothers, omega-3, and mental health study.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in this randomized controlled trial publication.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 105 subjects taking part.

PubMed indexes the participants as adults, women only.

Pregnant women from Michigan who were at risk for depression based on Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Score or history of depression were enrolled.

Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview at 12-20 weeks, 26-28 weeks, 34-36 weeks, and 6-8 weeks postpartum.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized and double-blind.

The subjects were allocated by chance, so the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Blinding on both sides kept the subjects and researchers unaware of who received Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

Vitamin D levels were measured at 12-20 weeks (N = 117) and 34-36 weeks (N = 112).

Complete datasets were available on 105 subjects.

Using regression analyses, the researchers evaluated the relationship between vitamin D levels with BDI scores as well as with MINI diagnoses of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

Their primary outcome measure was the association of maternal vitamin D levels with BDI scores during early and late pregnancy and postpartum.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Depression, Depression, Postpartum, Dietary Supplements, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Maternal Serum Screening Tests, Postpartum Period and Pregnancy Complications.

The authors tagged it with the keywords Vitamin D.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and double-blind study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 105 subjects.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 5 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2016 (BMC pregnancy and childbirth), a journal based in England.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.