Pregnant women sought for vitamin D study The College of Nursing, in collaboration with the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, has a new study. Preeclampsia, a form of pregnancy-induced hypertension, affects up to 8 percent of women in the United States, or about 300,000 women annually. Preeclampsia and high blood pressure are associated with vitamin D deficiency, a significant problem among rural women in the Northern Plains. The goal of the study is to identify nutritional factors and vascular mechanisms underlying the development of preeclampsia and high blood pressure. Who is eligible? Women, age 18 and older, who are pregnant and planning to deliver at Altru Hospital. Participants must have had no prior deliveries. At time of application, they should be at 14 or fewer weeks of pregnancy. What will be required for this study? There are a total of three visits to the Human Nutrition Research Center. Participants could earn up to $75 for this study. Interested in becoming a volunteer? Please call (701) 795-8396. -- Cindy Anderson, Assistant Professor, Family and Community Nursing, cindyanderson@mail.und.edu, 701-777-4354