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Vitamin E status of the newborn in relation to gestational age, birth weight and maternal vitamin E status
R S Shah1, R Rajalakshmi, R V Bhatt
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, M.S. University, India.
Insights
Maternal vitamin E deficiency is linked to premature birth and low birth weight in newborns. Lower vitamin E levels in mothers and infants were observed in low-income groups, impacting infant health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Neonatal Health
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- Vitamin E status is crucial for neonatal health.
- Socioeconomic factors can influence maternal and infant nutrition.
- Assessing vitamin E in newborns requires evaluating maternal status and infant biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate newborn vitamin E status using cord serum vitamin E and erythrocyte hemolysis.
- To correlate vitamin E levels with gestational age, birth weight, and maternal vitamin E status.
- To compare vitamin E status between low (LIG) and high (HIG) income groups in urban Baroda.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of maternal and cord serum vitamin E levels (mg/l).
- Assessment of erythrocyte hemolysis in vitro.
- Comparison of vitamin E levels across full-term, premature, and low-birth-weight infants.
- Correlation analysis between serum vitamin E and hemolysis.
Main Results:
- Full-term infants in HIG had higher maternal (11.6 mg/l) and cord serum vitamin E (4.6 mg/l) than LIG (9.9 mg/l and 3.6 mg/l, respectively).
- Premature (2.3 mg/l) and low-birth-weight (2.9 mg/l) infants showed lower serum vitamin E than full-term normal infants (4.2 mg/l).
- Maternal vitamin E deficiency correlated negatively with erythrocyte hemolysis in maternal blood, but not cord blood.
Conclusions:
- Maternal vitamin E deficiency is associated with prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation.
- Lower socioeconomic status (LIG) is linked to poorer vitamin E status in mothers and newborns.
- Vitamin E status assessment in newborns should consider maternal nutritional status and socioeconomic factors.
Abstract:
1. Studies were made on the vitamin E status of the newborn as judged by cord serum vitamin E and erythrocyte haemolysis in vitro in relation to gestational age, birth weight and maternal vitamin E status in subjects belonging to low (LIG)- and high (HIG)-income groups in urban Baroda. 2. In the case of full-term infants, the mean values for maternal serum vitamin E (mg/l) for LIG (n 73) and HIG (n 43) were 9.9 (SE 0.4) and 11.6 (SE 0.5). The corresponding values for cord serum vitamin E were 3.6 (SE 0.2) and 4.6 (SE 0.2) mg/l. 3. Serum vitamin E levels (mg/l) were lower in premature infants (2.3 (SE 0.2); n 20) and low-birth-weight full-term infants (2.9 (SE 0.2); n 25) than in full-term normal infants (4.2 (SE 0.1); n 91). This was associated with differences in maternal serum vitamin E levels (7.4 (SE 0.5), 8.2 (SE 0.5) and 11.1 (SE 0.3) respectively). The differences were more marked for LIG. 4. A negative correlation was found between serum vitamin E and erythrocyte haemolysis in vitro in the case of maternal blood but not in cord blood. 5. These results suggest that maternal vitamin E deficiency is one of the features associated with prematurity and intra-uterine growth retardation.