ABSTRACT
The serum vitamin A, vitamin E and some related indexes were determined in 90 primigravidas of the 2nd and the 3rd trimesters, their newborns and 30 non-pregnant women. The mean serum VA and VE contents of non-pregnant women were 39.9 ?g/dl and 10.3 ?g/ml respectively. Both the contents increased progressively with the advancement of pregnancy. The serum VA levels of pregnant women in the 2nd and the 3rd trimesters were 1.7 and 1.8 times as much as those of non-pregnant women respectively, and the serum VE levels were 1.2 and 1.8 times. The cord blood VA and VE levels were 22.3 ?g/dl and 3.36 ?g/ml respectively and both were lower than those of their mothers significantly. The colostrum VA content of these pregnant women was also determined and the mean VA content of colostrum was 117.8