Prevalence of Non-exclusive Breastfeeding in the Context of Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy and Lactation in Bangladesh

Objectives: Vitamin D deficiency is a global health issue and may impact milk supply through modulating mammary inflammation and lipid metabolism. However, data is limited on the role of vitamin D in lactation outcomes. We aimed to examine the impact of vitamin D supplementation on exclusive breastfeeding prevalence during early infancy. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial of maternal vitamin D supplementation in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In this study, participants received either prenatal vitamin D (4200 IU/wk, n=229; 16000 IU/wk, n=224; or 28000 IU/wk, n=221), both prenatal and postpartum vitamin D (28000 IU/wk; n=227), or placebo (n=223). The outcomes measured were exclusive compared to non-exclusive breastfeeding at 2 weeks (±1 week) and one month (4 weeks[GD1]…