Background and Aims Based on the fact that the whole-body bone mineral content increases between 32–33 wk and 40–41 wk gestation (3.0 fold increase), near-term infants are thus at higher risk for low levels of vitamin D. Our aim was to measure 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] concentrations in the cord blood of near term infants born at KFAFH in Jeddah Saudi Arabia.

Methods This was a prospective study carried out from August 1^st 2011 to January 31^st 2012. A total of 153 near terms babies with gestational ages 34 to 36+6 weeks were included. The results were classified as Deficient (25(OH) D<37.5 nmol/L), Insufficient (25(OH) D 37.5–7 5 nmol/L) or Sufficient (25(OH) D>75 nmol/L].

Results The measured 25(OH) D levels ranged between 3–91 nmol/L with a mean of 26.91±13.934 nmol/L. The values were classified as deficient in 134 babies (88.2%) and insufficient in 16 babies (10.5%), while only two babies (1.3%) had sufficient levels of vitamin D in their cord blood. We ran correlation studies between 25(OH) D levels, birth weight (BWt), gestational age (GA) and admission to the neonatal intensive care (NICU), there was a weak correlation between 25 (OH) D levels and birth weight r value of.172 (p<0.05) but no correlation was found with GA or NICU admission.

Conclusion We observed a high prevalence of significant hypovitaminosis D among near term infants and a weak correlation with lower birth weight, the magnitude of which warrants identification and intervention.