title: Vitamin A status of pregnant women in five districts of Sri Lanka.
abstract: Vitamin A status was assessed in early and late stages of pregnancy in 496 pregnant women living in Colombo, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Badulla and Galle districts, using clinical, dietary and biochemical parameters. Serum vitamin A concentration was determined by a fluorometric method and the retinol binding protein concentration by radial immunodiffusion. The serum vitamin A levels of subjects in the lowest socioeconomic group in Galle and Kegalle districts were significantly lower than those living in Colombo. The percentage of subjects having serum vitamin A levels less than 20 micrograms/dl, increased in late pregnancy in all areas, with the highest value (27.8%) in the Galle district. None of the subjects had severe ocular manifestations of vitamin A deficiency. The higher incidence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency noted among subjects in Galle and Kegalle districts could be attributed at least in part to a low dietary intake of vitamin A and carotenoids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jayasekera
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Atukorala
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Seneviratne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A