title: Retinol concentration in maternal and cord serum: its relation to birth weight in healthy mother-infant pairs.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics A, Soroka University Medical Center, P.O. Box 151, Beersheba 84101, Israel.
authors.forename: Elyahu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gazala
authors.forename: Batia
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarov
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hershkovitz
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edvardson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sklan
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Friger
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gorodischer
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A