title: Maternal and neonatal plasma transthyretin (prealbumin) concentrations and birth weight of newborn infants.
abstract: Animal studies have shown that maternal protein deficiency during pregnancy affects fetal birth weight. This study has examined whether or not the fetal birth weight of full-term newborns has any relationship with the acute protein nutrition status of the mother. Protein nutrition status was assessed by measuring the plasma transthyretin (prealbumin) concentrations. Plasma transthyretin concentrations (mean +/- SE) from the cord blood of 20 newborns (10.9 +/- 0.5 mg/dl) were significantly lower (p < 0.000000001) compared with respective maternal concentrations (17.8 +/- 0.8). There was a significant correlation of transthyretin concentrations between mother and newborns (r = 0.61, p < 0.005), and of newborn birth weight with plasma transthyretin concentrations of newborns (r = 0.57, p < 0.01) and mothers (r = 0.51, p < 0.03). This study documents a relationship of fetal birth weight with maternal and newborn plasma transthyretin concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Shreveport, USA.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ransonet
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bocchini
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D011228:Prealbumin