Mikensi Gilbert is six months pregnant.
She's been taking Vitamin D supplements for this pregnancy. "It helps with fatigue. It helps with, um, energy."
Her first pregnancy was tough. So her mom, who reads a lot of medical studies, recommended she boost her Vitamin-D intake.
"She knows that I had a difficult time with Jae with my pregnancy. I think she was just thinking of me."
Gilbert had gestational diabetes with her son, Jae. This time she's expecting a smoother pregnancy. "Just had our ultrasound reports read to me yesterday and everything's good. He's healthy. He's growing like he should."
She hopes by taking Vitamin D, she can keep him from getting RSV once he's born. "Vitamin D plays a large role in very many systems of the body," says Dr. Marcus Blackburn, pediatrician.
Dr. Marcus Blackburn says as for how effective Vitamin D is in preventing RSV, it's hard to say. "It's very common. Most children are going to get it by the time they're two. All kids have been exposed to it."
The symptoms mimic a cold. And Blackburn says taking Vitamin D may just reduce the severity of RSV in infants. Vitamin D is not the cure-all for respiratory and other health problems, but doctor's say it's still very important for overall health. Just how much to take, though, is still up for debate.
"Right now in this study they quote it as 400 international units. So, that's the same as a newborn child. Although there have been studies that have shown up to four thousand international units. Vitamin D is something that you can have toxicity from so that's something that we're still working out," says Dr. Blackburn.
Blackburn recommends all pregnant women check with their doctor on how much Vitamin D to take along with other prenatal vitamins.
Link to the study: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/05/05/peds.2010-3054.abstract</url>
