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Nutrients
Volume 17
Issue 23
10.3390/nu17233649
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy Is Associated with Postpartum Depression: A Cohort Study in Southern Brazil

by
Luis Otávio Lobo Centeno
1,
Aline Longoni
1,
Jéssica Puchalski Trettim
1,
Isabela Thurow Lemes
1,
Andressa Schneider Lobato
1,
Nathália Passos Moura
1,
Djiovana Zanini
1,
Thiago Falson Santana
1,
Eduarda Neutzling Drawanz
1,
Fernanda Teixeira Coelho
1,2,
Mariana Bonati de Matos
1,
Luciana de Avila Quevedo
1,
Gabriele Ghisleni
1,
Diogo Onofre Souza
2,
Ricardo Tavares Pinheiro
1 and
Adriano Martimbianco de Assis
1,*
1
Graduate Program in Health and Behavior, Center of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences, Catholic University of Pelotas (UCPel), Pelotas 96015-560, RS, Brazil
2
Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2025, 17(23), 3649; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233649
Submission received: 21 October 2025 / Revised: 14 November 2025 / Accepted: 18 November 2025 / Published: 21 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrients: 15th Anniversary)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Postpartum depression (PPD) represents a major public health issue, with a direct impact on the quality of life of the mother–infant dyad. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), hereafter referred to as VitD, has been suggested to exert protective effects on mood regulation. However, current findings remain inconsistent. This study aimed to assess the association between gestational VitD deficiency (≤19.9 µg/mL) and the diagnosis of PPD three months after delivery. Methods: This longitudinal study followed mother–child dyads in the city of Pelotas, RS, Brazil. A total of 983 pregnant women were initially recruited, of whom 713 had complete data available for this analysis. Blood samples were collected up to 24 weeks of gestation for subsequent measurement of serum VitD levels using chemiluminescence, and PPD diagnosis was established using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I. Plus). Logistic regression models were applied and adjusted for potential confounders, such as maternal age, socioeconomic status, and history of depression during pregnancy. Results: In the adjusted model, deficient serum VitD levels were associated with a two-fold-higher likelihood of PPD diagnosis compared to insufficient/sufficient VitD levels (≥20 µg/mL) (OR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.0–4.2; p = 0.049). Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential role of VitD in maternal mental health and support the importance of monitoring VitD status during pregnancy. From a public health standpoint, ensuring adequate vitamin D levels in prenatal care may contribute to reducing the burden of postpartum depression.
Keywords: vitamin D; postpartum depression; pregnancy; risk factors; mental health; vitamin deficiency vitamin D; postpartum depression; pregnancy; risk factors; mental health; vitamin deficiency

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Centeno, L.O.L.; Longoni, A.; Trettim, J.P.; Lemes, I.T.; Lobato, A.S.; Moura, N.P.; Zanini, D.; Santana, T.F.; Drawanz, E.N.; Coelho, F.T.; et al. Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy Is Associated with Postpartum Depression: A Cohort Study in Southern Brazil. Nutrients 2025, 17, 3649. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233649

AMA Style

Centeno LOL, Longoni A, Trettim JP, Lemes IT, Lobato AS, Moura NP, Zanini D, Santana TF, Drawanz EN, Coelho FT, et al. Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy Is Associated with Postpartum Depression: A Cohort Study in Southern Brazil. Nutrients. 2025; 17(23):3649. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233649

Chicago/Turabian Style

Centeno, Luis Otávio Lobo, Aline Longoni, Jéssica Puchalski Trettim, Isabela Thurow Lemes, Andressa Schneider Lobato, Nathália Passos Moura, Djiovana Zanini, Thiago Falson Santana, Eduarda Neutzling Drawanz, Fernanda Teixeira Coelho, and et al. 2025. "Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy Is Associated with Postpartum Depression: A Cohort Study in Southern Brazil" Nutrients 17, no. 23: 3649. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233649

APA Style

Centeno, L. O. L., Longoni, A., Trettim, J. P., Lemes, I. T., Lobato, A. S., Moura, N. P., Zanini, D., Santana, T. F., Drawanz, E. N., Coelho, F. T., de Matos, M. B., Quevedo, L. d. A., Ghisleni, G., Souza, D. O., Pinheiro, R. T., & de Assis, A. M. (2025). Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy Is Associated with Postpartum Depression: A Cohort Study in Southern Brazil. Nutrients, 17(23), 3649. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233649

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