Maternal Vitamin A Research Articles

Redefining Neonatal Vitamin A Adequacy and Deficiency Based on Maternal Nutrition: A Cross‐Sectional Study in Chongqing, China

ABSTRACTThere are no established diagnostic criteria for neonatal vitamin A deficiency (VAD), and applying adult VAD criteria to neonates may overestimate the neonatal VAD rate. This study aimed to evaluate neonatal vitamin A (VA) status and redefine thresholds for neonatal VA adequacy and deficiency based on maternal VA nutrition. A cross‐sectional study involving 1901 mother–neonate pairs was conducted in Chongqing, China. VA nutritional status was assessed by measuring serum VA levels and dietary VA intake from the third trimester to birth. The VAD rates of maternal dietary intake and serum were 27.091% and 23.356%, respectively, while 88.8% of neonates had serum VA levels < 0.70 μmol/L, the threshold for adult VAD. Neonatal VA levels were significantly lower than maternal levels. All neonates were healthy, with no clinical signs of VAD. Neonatal VA levels correlated positively with maternal VA levels. The threshold for neonatal VA adequacy was estimated to be ≥ 0.489 (95%CI: 0.464–0.512) μmol/L when maternal VA nutrition was adequate, and the 2.5th percentile of VA levels among all neonates was 0.192 μmol/L, predicting neonatal VAD. The study concluded that neonatal VAD rates might be overestimated, as most neonates received adequate VA from their mothers. Maternal VA status is a reliable predictor of neonatal VA status due to their close relationship. This study offers a new perspective on prenatal nutrition for determining neonatal VA adequacy and deficiency thresholds and developing neonatal VA supplementation programs. Further research is needed.

Maternal genetics and diet modulate vitamin A homeostasis of the offspring and affect the susceptibility to obesity in adulthood in mice.

Perinatal nutrition exerts a profound influence on adult metabolic health. This study aimed to investigate whether increased maternal vitamin A (VA) supply can lead to beneficial metabolic phenotypes in the offspring. The researchers utilized mice deficient in the intestine-specific homeobox (ISX) transcription factor, which exhibits increased intestinal VA retinoid production from dietary β-carotene (BC). ISX-deficient dams were fed a VA-sufficient or a BC-enriched diet during the last week of gestation and the whole lactation period. Total retinol levels in milk and weanling livers were 2- to 2.5-fold higher in the offspring of BC-fed dams (BC offspring), indicating increased VA supplies during late gestation and lactation. The corresponding VA-sufficient and BC offspring (males and females) were compared at weaning and adulthood after being fed either a standard or high-fat diet (HFD) with regular VA content for 13 weeks from weaning. HFD-induced increases in adiposity metrics, such as fat depot mass and adipocyte diameter, were more pronounced in males than females and were attenuated or suppressed in the BC offspring. Notably, the BC offspring were protected from HFD-induced increases in circulating triacylglycerol levels and hepatic steatosis. These protective effects were associated with reduced food efficiency, enhanced capacity for thermogenesis and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in adipose tissues, and increased adipocyte hyperplasia rather than hypertrophy in the BC offspring. In conclusion, maternal VA nutrition influenced by genetics may confer metabolic benefits to the offspring, with mild increases in late gestation and lactation protecting against obesity and metabolic dysregulation in adulthood.NEW & NOTEWORTHY A genetic mouse model, deficient in intestine-specific homeobox (ISX) transcription factor, is used to show that a mildly increased maternal vitamin A supply from β-carotene feeding during late gestation and lactation programs energy and lipid metabolism in tissues and protects the offspring from diet-induced hypertrophic obesity and hepatic steatosis. This knowledge may have implications for human populations where polymorphisms in ISX and ISX target genes involved in vitamin A homeostasis are prevalent.

Assessment of vitamin A levels in breast milk and serum of lactating mothers in Southeast Nigeria

Background: Vitamin A (VA) is an essential micronutrient critical to human health, infants rely on their mother’s breast milk for sufficient supply. This makes the maternal diet a crucial source of VA for infant growth and development. Aims: This study aimed to assess maternal VA status by assessing serum and breast milk retinol concentrations as well as dietary intake in nursing mothers. Subjects and Methods: A clinic-based cross-sectional study, conducted in Awka, south-east Nigeria, was used to assess 127 lactating women at one to 24 months post-partum. Blood and breast milk samples were obtained from each participant in a fasted state while dietary intake was assessed via an interviewer-administered semi-structured food frequency questionnaire. Retinol concentration was analyzed by spectrophotometry. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data while Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to determine associations between breast milk and serum retinol concentrations and study variables. Results: The mean retinol concentration in the serum of the women was a borderline value of 0.75 ± 0.64 µmol/L while the mean retinol concentration in breast milk was 0.99 ± 0.71 µmol/L. Further, the mean milk fat content was 56.18 ± 32.32 g/L while the mean milk retinol to fat ratio was 0.027 ± 0.044 µmol/g. Maternal diet consisted of a preference for provitamin A foods with low bioavailability. The mean retinol concentration in breast milk increased with time post-partum. There was no statistically significant relationship found between the frequency of consumption of most foods and the concentration of retinol in breast milk. Conclusion: The evidence of VA deficiency highlights the need for screening and nutrition education of breastfeeding mothers during ante- and post-natal visits. Keywords: Human milk, serum, vitamin A, maternal diet.

Breast Milk Retinol Levels after Vitamin A Supplementation at Different Postpartum Amounts and Intervals.

Maternal vitamin A (VA) supplementation in risk areas for Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) was launched to improve the level of this nutrient in nursing mothers and in their breast milk. This longitudinal and randomized study aimed to evaluate the levels of retinol in breast milk after supplementation with VA in varying amounts (200,000 IU or 400,000 IU) and different postpartum intervals. Women were distributed into four intervention groups and given a single 200,000 IU postnatal dosage of VA at time 0 h (postnatal morning) (G200 0H); a single 200,000 IU dosage of VA in week four (G200 4W); 200,000 IU of VA at time 0 h + 200,000 IU of VA 24 h after the first supplementation (G400 24H); and 200,000 IU of VA at time 0 h + 200,000 IU of VA one week after the first supplementation (G400 1W). Breast milk samples were collected over a 12-week period (0 h, 24 h and 1, 4, 12 weeks post-natal). Retinol levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The Generalized Estimated Equation (GEE) assessed the different retinol levels. The G200 (0H), G400 (24H), and G400 (1W) groups presented higher retinol levels at 24 h than the G200 (4W) group (p < 0.001). The retinol levels of all groups were similar at times 1, 4 and 12 weeks after delivery (p > 0.05). Maternal VA supplementation increased retinol levels in the colostrum. Different supplementation dosages or postpartum administration times did not result in added benefit to retinol levels in mature breast milk.

Pregnancy and Lactation Alter Vitamin A Metabolism and Kinetics in Rats under Vitamin A-Adequate Dietary Conditions.

Background: Vitamin A (VA) plays critical roles in prenatal and postnatal development; however, limited information is available regarding maternal VA metabolism during pregnancy and lactation. Objectives: We investigated the impact of pregnancy and lactation on VA metabolism and kinetics in rats, hypothesizing that changes in physiological status would naturally perturb whole-body VA kinetics. Methods: Eight-week old female rats (n = 10) fed an AIN-93G diet received an oral tracer dose of 3H-labeled retinol to initiate the kinetic study. On d 21 after dosing, six female rats were mated. Serial blood samples were collected from each female rat at selected times after dose administration until d 14 of lactation. Model-based compartmental analysis was applied to the plasma tracer data to develop VA kinetic models. Results: Our compartmental model revealed that pregnancy resulted in a gradual increase in hepatic VA mobilization, presumably to support different stages of fetal development. Additionally, the model indicates that during lactation, VA derived from dietary intake was the primary source of VA delivered to the mammary gland for milk VA secretion. Conclusion: During pregnancy and lactation in rats with an adequate VA intake and previous VA storage, the internal redistribution of VA and increased uptake from diet supported the maintenance of VA homeostasis.

Vitamin A Requirements in Pregnancy and Lactation.

ABSTRACTPregnancy and lactation are critical life stages with unique nutritional requirements, including for vitamin A (VA). Current DRIs for VA were published in 2001. The objective of this review was to identify and categorize evidence related to VA requirements in pregnancy and lactation since these DRIs were formulated. We searched MEDLINE and included articles according to an analytic framework of maternal VA exposure on status and health outcomes in the mother-child dyad. Intermediate and indirect evidence supports that maternal VA intakes can impact the mother's VA status, breastmilk, and health outcomes, as well as the child's VA status and select health outcomes. Food-based approaches can lead to more sustained, sufficient VA status in mothers and children. Research needs include further study linking maternal VA intakes on maternal and child VA status, and further associations with outcomes to determine intake requirements to optimize health.

Effects of maternal and dietary vitamin A on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant status, and immune function of offspring broilers

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal and dietary vitamin A (VA) level on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant status, and immune function of offspring broilers. Chinese yellow-feathered breeder hens were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 5,400, 10,800, and 21,600 IU/kg VA for 8 wk, with 6 replicates of 22 hens per replicate. Then the offspring hatched from each of the 4 maternal groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 or 5,000 IU/kg VA for 63 D. Overall, there were 8 treatment combinations, each with 6 replicate pens of 20 birds. Results showed that (1) providing VA in offspring diets increased final body weight (FW), average daily gain, and average daily feed intake but reduced feed-to-gain ratio and mortality of offspring broilers (P < 0.05), whereas maternal provision of VA did not significantly affect the growth performance and mortality of offspring broilers. Maternal or offspring VA did not affect proportion of breast or thigh muscle (P > 0.05). (2) Maternal feeding with 21,600 IU/kg VA increased (P < 0.05) pH 24 h postmortem of breast muscle, compared with those without maternal supplication of VA. Dietary provision of 5,000 IU/kg VA in the posthatching diet decreased (P < 0.05) drip loss, yellowness (b∗) value and lightness (L∗) value, and increased shear force and pH of breast muscle compared with those without dietary VA supplication. (3) Maternal or offspring VA did not affect the activities of total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) or the content of malondialdehyde; however, there was a significant interaction (P < 0.05) between maternal and offspring VA on the activity of GSH-Px in serum. (4) Dietary provision of 5,000 IU/kg VA increased (P < 0.05) the weight proportion of liver and bursa of fabricius, whereas maternal feeding with 21,600 IU/kg VA increased the hatchling BW. Maternal feeding with 5,400 and 21,600 IU/kg VA decreased (P < 0.05) splenic interferon-γ (IFN-γ) transcripts and increased (P < 0.05) those of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in the progeny. There were interactions (P < 0.05) between maternal and offspring VA on splenic IL-2, IL-1β, and IFN-γ expression. In summary, maternal and offspring provision of VA both had influence on meat quality and immune function in progeny broilers. Dietary VA increased growth performance, whereas the maternal VA affected the initial body weight of progeny when hatched, but the difference in performance caused by maternal VA level was able to be eliminated by dietary VA supplementation. Therefore, offspring provision had greater importance than maternal VA in the production; however, both should be considered in broiler nutrition to achieve good meat quality and immune status of broilers.

Effects of vitamin A supplementation in the diet of breeding geese on offspring intestinal tissue morphology and immune performance.

ObjectiveThe effects of maternal and offspring dietary vitamin A (VA) supplementation on early body weight, digestive tract function and immune function in goslings were studied.MethodsYangzhou geese (180 d old) were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups of 15 females and 3 males (the males were kept until slaughter). Eggs were collected for hatching during the peak laying period. A total of 96 goslings were selected from each treatment group (each fed a basic diet supplemented with 0, 4,000, 8,000, 12,000 or 16,000 IU/kg VA) and randomly divided into 2 groups, with 6 replicates in each group and 8 goslings in each replicate. The gosling diet was supplemented with 0 or 9,000 IU/kg VA.Resultsi) Villus length, villus width and the muscle thickness of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were increased and the crypt depth was reduced after adding 12,000 IU/kg VA to the goslings’ diet (p<0.05). Adding 9,000 IU/kg VA to the offspring diet increased the length of the duodenal villi and width of the ileum and decreased the crypt depth of the ileum (p<0.05). ii) Supplementing the maternal diet with 12,000 IU/kg VA increased immune organ weight, the immune organ index and immunoglobulin content in goslings (p<0.05). The bursa weight and immunoglobulin G content of offspring were higher in the 9,000 IU/kg VA supplementation group than in the group with no supplementation (p<0.05).ConclusionOffspring growth and development were affected by the amount of VA added into maternal diet. The negative effect of maternal VA deficiency on offspring can be compensated by adding VA to the offspring diet. Continued VA supplementation in the offspring diet after excessive VA supplementation in the maternal diet is unfavorable for gosling growth and development.

Direct and indirect vitamin A supplementation strategies result in different plasma and tissue retinol kinetics in neonatal rats

Many questions remain regarding vitamin A (VA) supplementation of infants. Herein we compared direct oral VA supplementation of the neonate and indirect treatment through maternal dietary VA (M-VA) treatment on VA status and kinetics in neonatal rats. Treatments included direct VA combined with retinoic acid (RA) [D-VARA; VA (6 mg/kg) + 10% RA, given orally to neonates on postnatal day (P)2 and P3] and indirect VA supplementation through increased M-VA, compared with each other and oil-treated neonates. [3H]retinol was administered orally to all neonates on P4. Plasma and tissue [3H]retinol kinetics were determined from 1 h to 14 days post-dosing. D-VARA versus placebo dramatically increased liver and lung retinol, but only in the first 8–10 days. In M-VA neonates, liver and lung VA increased progressively throughout the study. Compartmental modeling of plasma [3H]retinol showed that both D-VARA and indirect M-VA reduced retinol recycling between plasma and tissues. Compartmental models of individual tissues predicted that D-VARA stimulated the uptake of VA in chylomicrons to extrahepatic tissues, especially intestine, while the uptake was not observed in M-VA neonates. In conclusion, indirect maternal supplementation had a greater sustained effect than D-VARA on neonatal VA status, while also differentially affecting plasma and tissue retinol kinetics.

Estimating the Effective Coverage of Programs to Control Vitamin A Deficiency and Its Consequences Among Women and Young Children in Cameroon.

To compare the cost-effectiveness of nutrition programs, the anticipated nutritional benefits of each intervention must be expressed using a common metric. We present the methodology for estimating the benefits of vitamin A (VA)-related interventions among women and children in Cameroon. We estimated "reach" (proportion of the population that receives a program), "coverage" (proportion that is deficient and receives a program), and "effective coverage" (proportion that "converts" from inadequate to adequate VA intake following an intervention) using dietary data collected during a national survey in 3 macro-regions of Cameroon (North, South, and Yaoundé/Douala). Effective coverage of programs such as (bio)fortification and micronutrient powders was estimated by adding the dietary VA contributed by the intervention to baseline VA intakes, including the contribution of increased maternal VA intake to infant VA intake through increases in breast milk VA. For interventions that provide VA-related benefits through other pathways (eg, periodic high-dose VA supplements and deworming), we developed alternative methods of estimating "daily VA intake equivalents. " Baseline VA intakes and intervention reach varied by geographic macro-region. On average, estimates of program reach were greater than the effective coverage estimates by ∼50%. Effective coverage varied by intervention package and macro-region, ranging from <20 000 (deworming, Yaoundé/Douala) to >400 000 (micronutrient powder or VA supplement, North) children effectively covered per year. These estimates of effective coverage, along with macro-region-specific information on the costs of each intervention package, serve as inputs into an economic optimization model to identify the most cost-effective package of VA interventions for each macro-region of Cameroon.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a nutrition‐sensitive agriculture intervention in Western Kenya: design of the Mama SASHA cohort study of vitamin A (1019.2)

The 2013 Lancet Maternal and Child Nutrition series identified evaluations of nutrition‐sensitive agricultural interventions as a research priority. The Mama SASHA study in Western Kenya links delivery of vitamin A (VA) rich orange‐flesh sweet potato (OFSP) to antenatal care to improve VA and nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women and their children. The evaluation strategy includes a nested longitudinal study following women and their infants from pregnancy to 9 months postpartum. VA status is assessed using infection‐adjusted plasma retinol binding protein and breastmilk retinol (postpartum). Maternal and child infection, iron, and anemia status, anthropometry, diet, health services uptake, and food security status are also measured. 505 eligible pregnant women, attending ANC at 4 control and 4 intervention facilities, were consented and enrolled. At enrollment women in control and intervention communities did not differ with respect to VA, iron, anemia or anthropometric status; food security or dietary diversity scores; demographic characteristics; awareness of vitamin A; or consumption of vitamin A rich foods in the past 7 days. Only 10 women consumed OFSP in the previous 7 days; all in intervention communities. The longitudinal study will contribute to rigorous evaluation of the OFSP intervention on maternal and child VA status and allow assessment of program impact pathways.Grant Funding Source: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

The effects of vitamin A and retinoic acid supplementation to neonatal rats or dietary vitamin A supplementation to lactating mothers on vitamin A metabolism and kinetics in neonatal rats (645.20)

The objective of the present study was to explore how vitamin A (VA) supplementation to neonatal rats or lactating mothers affects VA status and kinetics in neonatal rats. Rat pups received an oral dose of [3H]retinol admixed with oil (group 1; control group) or VARA (group 2) on postnatal day 4 (P4); pups in group 3 were given a VARA dose on P2 and P3 and received an oral dose of [3H]retinol admixed with oil on P4; the diet fed to mothers of pups in group 4 was switched from VA marginal to VA supplemented on the birth day of pups and pups received an oral dose of [3H]retinol admixed with oil on P4. Mothers in group 1, 2, and 3 were fed a VA marginal diet through the study. Pups (n=3/time) were sacrificed and tissues were collected at different time points up to P18. Compared with control group, the single VARA dose significantly increased retinol concentration in plasma, liver and lungs in the first 2‐4 days. Two‐time pre VARA dose dramatically increased liver and lung retinol concentration in the first 8 days and retinol concentration declined afterwards. The effects of both ways of VARA administration disappeared at the end of the study. The effect of maternal VA supplementation on increasing pups’ liver and lung total retinol was not as rapid as that of VARA, however, it increased with time till the end of the study. All three ways of VA supplementation decreased the fraction of [3H]retinol remaining in plasma and increased the fraction in liver and lungs. To conclude, high dose VARA to neonatal rats has a dramatic but transient effect, while dietary VA supplementation to lactating mothers has a gradually increasing and sustained effect on improving VA status in neonatal rats.Grant Funding Source: Supported by NIH

Perinatal Exposure to Vitamin A Differentially Regulates Chondrocyte Growth and the Expression of Aggrecan and Matrix Metalloprotein Genes in the Femur of Neonatal Rats1–3

Vitamin A (VA) and its active form, retinoic acid (RA), are regulators of skeletal development. In the present study, we investigated if maternal VA intake during pregnancy and lactation, as well as direct oral supplementation of neonates with VA + RA (VARA) in early life, alters neonatal bone formation and chondrocyte gene expression. Offspring of dams fed 3 levels of VA (marginal, adequate, and supplemented) for 10 wk were studied at birth (P0) and postnatal day 7 (P7). One-half of the newborns received an oral supplement of VARA on P1, P4, and P7. Tissues were collected on P0 and 6 h after the last dose on P7. Pup plasma and liver retinol concentrations were increased by both maternal VA intake and VARA (P < 0.01). Although maternal VA did not affect bone mineralization as assessed by von Kossa staining, newborn femur length was increased with maternal VA (P < 0.05). VARA supplementation of neonates increased the length of the hypertrophic zone only in VA-marginal pups, close to that in neonates from VA-adequate dams, suggesting VARA caused a catching up of growth that was limited by low maternal VA intake. Maternal diet did not alter type X nor type II collagen mRNA. However, VARA-treated pups from VA-supplemented dams had reduced mRNA for aggrecan, a major component of cartilage matrix, and increased mRNA for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)13, which catalyzes the degradation of aggrecan and collagens. These results suggest that moderately high maternal VA intake combined with neonatal VARA supplementation can reduce the ratio of aggrecan:MMP, which may unfavorably alter early bone development.

Preconceptional through post‐partum vitamin A (VA) supplementation increases natural antibody concentrations of offspring aged 9–13 years in rural Nepal

B1a lymphocytes arise from an early wave of progenitors unique to fetal life. B1a cells constitutively produce natural antibodies (NAb), which protect against bacterial pathogens and regulate oxidative stress. VA regulates early lymphopoiesis; deficiency in fetal mice compromises B1 populations. We investigated the impact of weekly maternal VA or β-carotene supplementation (7,000 μg retinol equivalents) on plasma NAb concentrations of offspring. Subjects (n=290) were born to participants of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Sarlahi, Nepal (1994–97) and assessed at ages 9–13 years (2006–08). We used a commercial immunoassay to measure anti-double stranded DNA immunoglobulin M (ALPCO Diagnostics, Salem, NH; Catalog # 35-DSSHU-E01). Unadjusted geometric mean (95% confidence interval) concentrations were 20.08 U/mL (17.82, 22.64) in the VA group, compared to 17.64 U/mL (15.70, 19.81) and 15.96 U/mL (13.43, 18.96) in β-carotene & placebo groups (p=0.07), respectively. After adjustment, VA increased NAb by 0.39 standard deviations (p<0.05). This effect was mediated by infant serum retinol. Although girls had 1.4-fold higher NAb levels (p<0.001), sex did not modify the VA effect. Fetal VA receipt via routine maternal supplementation enhances the B1a lineage, which may alter infant and longer-term chronic disease risk. Grant Funding Source: Procter and Gamble, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and USAID

Maternal chronic vitamin A toxicity amplifies early fetal liver retinyl ester storage in captive Old World monkeys

Excessive preformed vitamin A (VA) intake is contraindicated during pregnancy due to teratogenic concerns. Recent studies have provided biochemical and histological evidence of chronic VA toxicity in captive Old World monkeys consuming laboratory diets containing high concentrations of retinyl acetate. This study investigated the effects of maternal chronic VA toxicity on early fetal hepatic VA storage. Monkey fetal livers (n = 19) ranging from 35 to 93 d gestational age (mid 1st to late 2nd trimester) were analyzed for VA content. Retinoic acid was quantified in a subset of livers (n = 9). Retinyl esters were identified in all fetal livers, and retinol, as a percentage, was more pronounced in younger fetuses. Hepatic VA concentration increased with gestational age (r = 0.92, P < 0.0001), ranging from 0.0011 μ mol/g in the youngest fetus (35 d) to 0.26 μ mol/g in the oldest fetus (93 d) indicating linear accumulation. Mean hepatic VA concentrations were 0.023 ± 0.008 μmol/g for the 1st trimester and 0.19 ± 0.06 μmol/g for the 2nd trimester. Hepatic VA concentrations from 2nd trimester fetuses were higher than those observed in fetal human and monkey livers from later stages of development, when growth and VA accumulation rates are assumed to be the highest. Maternal VA toxicity from excessive intake results in amplified early fetal hepatic retinyl ester storage. Supported by NIH-NIDDK RO1-61973 and 5P51 RR 000167.

Retinoid Concentrations in the Mouse during Postnatal Development and after Maternal Vitamin A Supplementation

Background: Vitamin A (VA) and its derivates (retinoids) are important nutritional substances, which mediate their biological activity mainly via nuclear retinoid receptors. Maternal VA intake during lactation influences the VA content in milk and the VA status of the progeny. We investigated the effects of maternal supplementation during lactation and direct supplementation to the pups after weaning on the retinoid concentration in serum and liver of neonatal mice using high doses of VA. Methods: Dams were fed a basal (4,500 retinol equivalents/kg diet) or a VA-supplemented (324,000 retinol equivalents/kg diet) diet during lactation. Pups kept receiving the same diet after weaning. Serum and liver samples of the pups were collected during lactation at days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 and post-weaning at days 21 and 65 after birth. Samples were analysed for retinoids by high-performance liquid chromatography. Results: Maternal VA supplementation resulted in significantly higher concentrations of retinol, retinyl palmitate and retinyl stearate in serum of mice neonates at days 5, 7, 14, 21 and 65 after birth in comparison to the basal diet, whereas significantly higher concentrations were observed in liver at days 5, 14, 21 and 65 after birth. At day 7 after birth, a decrease in the liver retinoid concentrations occurred in the VA-supplemented diet. Conclusion: Our results show for the first time that supplementation with high doses of VA during the lactation period in mice can affect serum retinol concentrations in the neonates and report that day 7 after birth is a critical time in the tissue distribution of retinoids during postnatal development.

Influence of caesarean delivery and maternal factors on fat-soluble vitamins in blood from cord and neonates.

We measured plasma and erythrocyte vitamin E (VE) and plasma vitamin A (VA) profiles in 48 full-term and 8 preterm pairs of neonates and their mothers at birth and we determined whether there is any relationship between maternal and umbilical cord for the nutrients measured. At the same time, we assessed the influence of the delivery type and neonate anthropometric measurements on maternal and cord blood VA and VE levels. We measured vitamin levels in vein and arterial blood in order to establish differences due to fetal metabolism. To determine the influence of pregnancy on vitamin levels, we compared the maternal results with data from a group of 13 non-pregnant women. Cord blood had lower plasma VE (arterial 275.8+/-71.7 microg/dl and vein 282.89+/-64.4 microg/dl values), erythrocyte VE (arterial 256.96+/-50.41 microg/dl packet cells and vein 257.41+/-44.35 microg/dl values), and VA levels (arterial 26.72+/-11.83 microg/dl and 27.15+/-10.05 microg/dl values) and a lower vitamin E/total lipids ratio (VE/LT) (arterial 1.60+/-0.4 and vein 1.62+/-0.3 values) than maternal blood (1474.62+/-424.51 microg/dl, 305.94+/-54.75 microg/dl packet cells, 41.03+/-18.83 microg/dl, 2.34+/-0.5, respectively). VA levels were higher in preterm than full-term neonates (P<0.05). Plasma and erythrocyte VE levels were not correlated in maternal blood but were correlated in neonates and infants (r>0.40; P<0.01). We found a good correlation between erythrocyte tocopherol of maternal and cord blood (r>0.40; P<0.01), although there was no correlation with plasma VE values. Cord vein plasma VE levels were higher than cord arterial blood measurements (P<0.01). The plasma VE and VE/LT of the mother and cord following vaginal delivery were higher than measurements from caesarean delivery (P<0.05), although erythrocyte levels were similar. The plasma VE level was higher in mothers at delivery than non-pregnant women.