Abstract
Abstract Objectives: To evaluate the influence of the socioeconomic factors on the alpha-tocopherol concentration in maternal serum. Methods: a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study with the participation of 103 adult parturient volunteers attended at Hospital Universitário Ana Bezerra (Ana Bezerra University Hospital) in Santa Cruz - Rio Grande do Norte. 5.0 mL of blood was collected from each participant in fasting before the delivery to extract alpha-tocopherol of the serum. Socioeconomic and demographic information were obtained by a previously structured questionnaire. Alpha-tocopherol serum was determined by a High-Performance Chromatography Liquid (Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Eficiência (CLAE). Results: The average concentration of alpha-tocopherol in the serum was 1281.4 (594.8) µg/dL, and 6% of the women presented vitamin E deficiency (DVE). Most pregnant women aged between 18 and 24 years (59%), marital status was married or consensual marriage (77%), elementary schooling complete (34%), low family income (74%) and living in the urban area (73%). No significant differences were found in the alpha-tocopherol concentration according to socioeconomic characteristics and none of the studied factors were associated to the presence of DVE ( p >0.05). Conclusions: The maternal social characteristics were not determinants for the alpha-tocopherol serum and DVE. Further investigations should be carried out during lactation to assess which factors may be involved in the presence of this deficiency.
Highlights
Pregnancy is characterized by physiological and metabolic alterations in response to fetal growth, which demands the necessity of specific nutrition for that period
The maternal nutritional status in vitamin E has a direct relationship with the alpha-tocopherol serum levels of the fetus and newborn, highlighting that at the border or low value levels of alpha-tocopherol in the maternal plasma may indicate vitamin E deficiency for the mother-child binomial,[5] and for this reason why it is essential to monitor these and its determining factors during the gestation and postpartum
The deficiency in neonates is associated to hemolytic anemia, bilirubin, thrombocytosis, intracranial hemorrhage and retrolental fibroplasia.[6,7]
Summary
Pregnancy is characterized by physiological and metabolic alterations in response to fetal growth, which demands the necessity of specific nutrition for that period. The alpha-tocopherol serum concentration, in its most active form, increases during this period mainly at the end of the last quarter of the gestation, probably due to the maternal lipophilic activity increase to ensure the transfer of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids for the fetus to grow.[2,3]. The interest of this vitamin mainly should be of its antioxidant capacity, which protects the lipoproteins and lipids on the cell membranes against free radical damage.[4]. The deficiency in neonates is associated to hemolytic anemia, bilirubin, thrombocytosis, intracranial hemorrhage and retrolental fibroplasia.[6,7]
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