title: Cross-sectional study on the iron and vitamin A status of pregnant women in West Java, Indonesia.
abstract: A cross-sectional study of the prevalence of iron and vitamin A deficiency in normal pregnant women in West Java, Indonesia, was carried out. Of the 318 women studied, 49.4% were anemic and, according to multiple criteria, 43.5% had iron-deficiency anemia, 22.3% had iron-deficient erythropoiesis, and 6.6% had iron depletion. Serum retinol values revealed that 2.5% of the pregnant women were vitamin A deficient and 31% had marginal vitamin A status. The relative dose-response test carried out on 45 women showed that 4 (8.9%) had deficient vitamin A liver stores. After gestational stage, parity, and subdistrict were adjusted for, serum retinol concentrations were significantly positively associated (P < 0.01) with hemoglobin concentrations, hematocrit, and serum iron concentrations. The suboptimal vitamin A status associated with nutritional-deficiency anemia suggests that pregnant women in the area should be supplemented not only with iron but also with vitamin A. This proposal should be tested in an intervention study.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health RI, Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Suharno
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: West
authors.lastname: Muhilal
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Logman
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: de Waart
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karyadi
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hautvast
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D004920:Erythropoiesis; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D014168:Transferrin; D014801:Vitamin A; D005293:Ferritins