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Vitamin A supplementation during puerperium: systematic review
Maria de Fátima Costa Caminha1, Malaquias Batista Filho, Taciana Fernanda dos Santos Fernandes
1Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira, Recife, PE, Brasil. fatimacaminha@imip.org.br
Revista De Saude Publica
|June 24, 2009
Summary
High-dose vitamin A supplementation effectively increased retinol levels in maternal milk in most studies. However, its effect on maternal blood retinol concentrations was less consistent, with no significant differences observed across various dosage regimens.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Maternal and Child Health
Background:
- Hypovitaminosis A is a significant global health concern, particularly affecting maternal and child populations.
- Vitamin A supplementation is a strategy to combat vitamin A deficiency, but its impact on maternal retinol levels requires thorough evaluation.
- Understanding the short-term effects of megadoses of vitamin A on maternal retinol concentrations is crucial for effective public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing studies on the effects of megadoses of vitamin A on retinol concentrations in maternal milk and blood.
- To assess the efficacy of vitamin A megadoses as a short-term measure for preventing hypovitaminosis A in mothers.
- To analyze the impact of different posological regimens (200,000, 300,000, and 400,000 IU) of vitamin A.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review was conducted, identifying 115 papers from PubMed based on the Brazilian Cochrane Center's strategy for randomized trials.
- Inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, selecting 14 relevant articles published between 1993 and 2007.
- Data from 11 experiments on maternal milk and 9 on maternal blood were analyzed concerning retinol level changes after vitamin A administration.
Main Results:
- Vitamin A megadoses led to elevated retinol levels in maternal milk in 82% (9 out of 11) of the evaluated trials.
- In contrast, only 4 out of 9 studies evaluating maternal blood showed an increase in retinol levels following supplementation.
- No significant differences in outcomes were observed among the different posological regimens (200,000, 300,000, and 400,000 IU) of vitamin A.
Conclusions:
- Megadoses of vitamin A are effective in increasing retinol concentrations in maternal milk as a short-term intervention.
- The impact of vitamin A megadoses on maternal blood retinol levels is less pronounced and more variable compared to maternal milk.
- Current evidence suggests that different high-dose regimens of vitamin A do not yield significantly different results in maternal retinol concentrations.
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