Serum vitamin A levels in mothers and their breast-fed term infants with or without supplemental vitamin A.
Serum concentrations of vitamin A were measured in term infants (n = 72) and their mothers at delivery and after 20 weeks of breast-feeding (n = 48). During the 20 weeks the infants received either no supplemental vitamin A (but the mothers were given 3,000 IU vitamin A daily) (n = 16) or a daily vitamin A supplementation of 600 (n = 17) or 1,500 IU (n = 15). After 20 weeks of breast-feeding the vitamin A levels in the unsupplemented infants were similar to those at birth. The infants supplemented either with 600 or 1,500 IU had higher vitamin A serum levels than at birth (p less than 0.01), however, there was no difference between the two supplemented groups. During lactation, the serum vitamin A concentrations of the mothers increased significantly in all groups with or without vitamin A supplementation.
Ala-Houhala
M
M
Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland.
Koskinen
T
T
Mäki
R
R
Rinkari
S
S
D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*
D014801:Vitamin A