Vitamin A status of the newborn in relation to birth weight, gestational age and maternal vitamin A levels

ABSTRACT

Vitamin A concentrations of 53 newborns delivered at Central Women's Hospita Yangon, and their mothers were studied. The mean cord vitamin A concentration (17.19 + 7.5 ug/dl) was significantly less than mean maternal vitamin A concentration (63.58 + 37.5 ug/dl) (p < 0.0001). The mean cord vitamin A concentration of newborn to mothers with vitamin A concentration loss than 20 ug/dl was significantly less than those of newborns born to mothers with maternal vitamin A concentrations more than 20 ug/dl (12.82 + 1.8 vs 17.74 + 7.3 ug/dl) (p < 0.01). Variation in birth weight was associated with differences in maternal vitamin A concentrations; lower maternal vitamin A was seen in low birth weight babies as compared to normal birth weight babies (44.13 + 37.7 ug/dl vs 69.28 + 35.8 ug/dl). No significant correlation between cord vitamin A levels and gestational age was found. The present study demonstrates that the vitamin A status of the newborn is influenced by maternal vitamin A status.