title: Vitamin E and C levels in infants during the first year of life.
abstract: The considerably lower vitamin E level found in cord blood and in newborns at birth than those found in the venous blood of mothers at delivery are not yet fully explained. In a group of 217 not selected newborns, we attempted to establish the relation between vitamin E and C levels at delivery and the changes during the first year of life. The mean serum vitamin E level rose from 0.37 mg/ml at 3 days to 0.80 mg/100 ml at 6 months and to 0.72 mg/100 ml at 12 months. On the other hand vitamin C mean levels lowered from 0.93 mg/100 ml in cord blood to 0.77 mg/100 ml at 6 months and to 0.73 mg/100 ml at 12 months. The rise of vitamin E values could be explained by the early use of infant solid foods with high vitamin and mineral content and by the increase of serum lipoproteins. Except at 3 days after delivery there were no individual values of serum vitamin E below the acceptable 0.35 mg/100 ml limit. However, serum vitamin C levels compatible with a moderate risk were very often observed, i.e., in 27.1% of infants at 6 months and in 30.5% at 1 year. Thus, vitamin E intake in infants was satisfactory with the usual diet but not vitamin C for which blood levels were not adequate. In view of these findings it appears necessary to evaluate periodically the vitamin E as well as vitamin C status in the infant population.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D011247:Pregnancy; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D001205:Ascorbic Acid