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Vitamin A status of the newborn in relation to gestational age, body weight, and maternal nutritional status
Insights
Maternal vitamin A status significantly impacts newborn health, with deficiencies linked to prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation. Ensuring adequate vitamin A for mothers is crucial for healthy infant development.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Maternal and Child Health
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- Vitamin A deficiency is a global concern, particularly in developing regions.
- Maternal nutritional status is a key determinant of fetal and infant outcomes.
- Understanding the relationship between maternal vitamin A and infant health is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess newborn vitamin A status using cord serum vitamin A.
- To examine the relationship between maternal vitamin A status, gestational age, and birth weight.
- To investigate the influence of socioeconomic status on these parameters.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 130 + 79 mother-infant pairs in urban Baroda.
- Measurement of maternal and cord serum vitamin A levels.
- Analysis of correlations between vitamin A status, gestational age, birth weight, and income groups.
Main Results:
- Lower maternal and cord serum vitamin A levels were observed in low-income groups.
- Premature infants had significantly lower cord serum vitamin A compared to full-term infants.
- Maternal vitamin A status was positively correlated with gestational age, birth weight, and cord serum vitamin A.
Conclusions:
- Poor maternal vitamin A status is associated with increased prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation.
- Socioeconomic factors influence vitamin A status and infant outcomes.
- Adequate vitamin A supplementation for pregnant and nursing mothers is essential to prevent deficiency and promote healthy growth.
Abstract:
Studies were made of the vitamin A status of newborn as judged by cord serum vitamin A in relation to gestational age, birth weight, and maternal vitamin A status in 130 + 79 mother-infant pairs belonging to low and high income groups in urban Baroda. The mean values for maternal serum vitamin A (microgram/dl, mean +/- SE) in the two groups were 21.8 +/- 0.59 (n = 130) and 29.3 +/- 0.80 (n = 79), respectively. The corresponding values for cord serum vitamin A were 13.8 +/- 0.40 and 19.6 +/- 0.64 for full-term infants and 7.5 +/- 0.44 and 12.9 +/- 0.80 for premature infants. Even for comparable levels of maternal serum vitamin A, differences were found between income groups regarding birth weight and cord serum vitamin A. Mothers of premature infants had lower levels of serum vitamin A than those of full-term infants suggesting maternal vitamin A status to be one of the correlates of prematurity. Significant correlations were found between cord serum vitamin A, maternal serum vitamin A, gestational age, and growth status. These studies suggest that a poor vitamin A status is one of the features associated with a higher prevalence of prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation found in poorly nourished populations. These findings stress the importance of satisfactory vitamin A supplies to pregnant and nursing mothers to prevent vitamin A deficiency and growth retardation in the progeny.