Vitamin D supplementation linked to higher fetal cerebroplacental ratio in small lupus pregnancy study

Vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was associated with a rise in the fetal cerebroplacental ratio (CPR), according to a small quasi-experimental study conducted at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital in Bandung, Indonesia, between May and October 2024. The findings, published as a Research Note in BMC Research Notes, come with substantial caveats: the study included only ten participants in its final analysis, and the authors themselves state that causal interpretation is limited by the study design and sample size.

Pregnancy in women with SLE carries increased maternal and fetal risk, and vitamin D is known to be involved in placental vascular function and fetal circulation. The research team, led by Nurul Islamy and colleagues, set out to examine whether vitamin D supplementation would affect this ratio in pregnant women with SLE.

Thirteen pregnant women were screened for the study. Two were excluded before the intervention because of moderate-to-severe SLE activity, leaving eleven participants who received vitamin D supplementation. One of those participants discontinued follow-up after experiencing vaginal bleeding and intrauterine fetal death, so the final analysis included ten participants. Serum vitamin D levels and the cerebroplacental ratio were measured monthly during follow-up.

Over the course of the study, mean serum vitamin D increased from 21.92 ± 4.85 ng/mL to 35.85 ± 5.68 ng/mL, a change the authors report as statistically significant with p = 0.005. The cerebroplacental ratio improved from 1.30 ± 0.16 to 1.61 ± 0.24, also reported as significant with p = 0.007. The correlation between vitamin D levels and CPR was positive but did not reach statistical significance.

The authors conclude that vitamin D supplementation significantly increased serum vitamin D levels, while CPR increased during follow-up. However, they are explicit that the quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design, without a control group, and the very small sample size prevent causal conclusions. The single participant who experienced fetal loss is also part of the study’s context, underscoring the elevated fetal risk associated with SLE pregnancies described in the report.

As a Research Note published open access on 27 October 2026, the article is presented as peer-reviewed, accepted research shared early for faster access, subject to further edits before the final Version of Record. The findings should be read as preliminary observations from a single hospital setting rather than evidence for changing clinical practice in the management of SLE pregnancies.

Subject of Research: The effect of vitamin D supplementation on the fetal cerebroplacental ratio in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus

Article Title: The effect of vitamin D supplementation on fetal cerebroplacental ratio in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus: a quasi-experimental study

Article References: Islamy, N., Irianti, S., Aziz, M. A., Dewi, S., Nugrahani, A. D., Siddiq, A., Anwar, A. D., Handono, B., & Effendi, J. S. (2026). The effect of vitamin D supplementation on fetal cerebroplacental ratio in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus: a quasi-experimental study. BMC Research Notes. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-026-08074-0

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s13104-026-08074-0

Keywords: vitamin D, systemic lupus erythematosus, pregnancy, cerebroplacental ratio, fetal circulation, placental vascular function, quasi-experimental study, BMC Research Notes, Indonesia, maternal-fetal health, effect, vitamin