Retinol concentration in maternal and cord serum: its relation to birth weight in healthy mother-infant pairs.
BACKGROUND
Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient for the development and growth of the fetus. The objective of this study was to identify a possible association between low serum retinol and birth weight in healthy mother-infant pairs in Southern Israel. A secondary objective was to examine ethnic differences in maternal and cord serum retinol.


METHODS
Serum retinol was measured at delivery from pairs of healthy mothers and healthy mature newborns.


RESULTS
Of the 313 mother-infant pairs studied, 56% were Jews and 44% Bedouins. The proportion of infants with birth weight of 2500-2999 g was greater among mothers with lower serum retinol (<0.7 micromol/l) compared to mothers with normal serum retinol (> or =0.7 micromol/l) (p<0.001). Cord retinol <0.7 micromol/l was more frequent in infants with birth weight 2500-2990 g compared to infants with birth weight > or =3000 g (p=0.006). Using a split model and stepwise multiple regression analysis, infant's birth weight was significantly influenced by cord retinol concentration in infants born to mothers with low serum retinol; gestational age and cord retinol alone explained 27% of the variability of birth weight in this group. A higher proportion of Bedouin than Jewish infants had serum retinol <0.7 and <0.35 micromol/l (both p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Low cord and maternal serum retinol may reflect poor vitamin A status of the newborn and the mother, which in turn may affect fetal growth.
Gazala
Elyahu
E
Department of Pediatrics A, Soroka University Medical Center, P.O. Box 151, Beersheba 84101, Israel.
Sarov
Batia
B
Hershkovitz
Eli
E
Edvardson
Shimon
S
Sklan
David
D
Katz
Miriam
M
Friger
Michael
M
Gorodischer
Rafael
R
D000328:Adult; D001083:Arabia / Q000208:ethnology; D018912:Arabs; D001724:Birth Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007585:Jews; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology
D014801:Vitamin A