Miroslav Šašinka, Katarína Furková
Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and fetus is significantly more frequent then in other population groups. But this deficiency may represent a predisposing factor for the future development of a multitude of diseases not only related to muscular and skeletal systems (rachitis, osteomalation, proximal myopathy), but also of many other diseases - sclerosis multiplex, schizophrenia, heart diseases, type 1 diabetes, carcinomas and other. Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can significantly affect the healthy development of a brain and other organs. During pregnancy and lactation, mother and her newborn require adequate amounts of vitamin D and therefore they are recommended to receive much higher doses of vitamin D then it is usual.