JMIR RESEARCH PROTOCOLS Rostami et al Protocol Rationale and Design of Khuzestan Vitamin D Deficiency Screening Program in Pregnancy: A Stratified Randomized Vitamin D Supplementation Controlled Trial Maryam Rostami1*, MSc, PhD; Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani2, MD; Masoumeh Simbar1*, PhD; Farhad Hosseinpanah3*, MD; Hamid Alavi Majd4, PhD 1Department of Reproductive Health and Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic Of Iran 2Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic Of Iran 3Obesity Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic Of Iran 4Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic Of Iran *these authors contributed equally Corresponding Author: Fahimeh Ramezani Tehrani, MD Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Reproductive Endocrinology Research Center Tehran, Islamic Republic Of Iran Phone: 98 21 22439982 Fax: 98 21 22439784 Email:
[email protected] Abstract Background: Although there have been marked improvements in our understanding of vitamin D functions in different diseases, gaps on its role during pregnancy remain. Due to the lack of consensus on the most accurate marker of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and the optimal level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 25(OH)D, for its definition, vitamin D deficiency assessment during pregnancy is a complicated process. Besides, the optimal protocol for treatment of hypovitaminosis D and its effect on maternal and neonatal outcomes are still unclear. Objective: The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the first trimester of pregnancy and to compare vitamin D screening strategy with no screening.