Vitamin D Levels in Mother–Baby Pairs: A Cross-Sectional Prospective Study in a Rwandan Tertiary Hospital

Abstract Background Exposure to the sunlight contributes largely to the production of vitamin D. However, vitamin D deficiency is a reality in tropical countries, despite enjoying enough sunlight, especially bearing women in their last trimester whose foetuses exclusively depend on their reserves. This work aimed at demonstrating the state of vitamin D in mother–baby pairs and associated factors in one of the University Hospitals in Rwanda. Methods This cross-sectional prospective study was performed on mother–baby pairs at Kigali University Hospital. Mother’s serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were considered as outcomes compared with demographic, clinical and biological markers. Correlation analysis was conducted in order to assess the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels for the couple mothers–babies. Results Approximately 38% of women and 65% of neonates had deficiency in 25-hydroxyvitamin D (