Association of antioxidant vitamins and oxidative stress levels in pregnancy with infant growth during the first year of life.
OBJECTIVE
Whereas there are numerous reports in the literature relating the impact of maternal nutritional status on subsequent birth outcome, much less is known about the long-term impact on infant growth after birth. Therefore, we conducted a prospective cohort study to investigate the association of maternal micronutrient status (vitamins A, C and E, folate) and oxidative stress status in pregnancy with infant growth during the first year of life.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
Outpatient clinic of obstetrics, Ewha Womans University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.


METHODS
Two groups were constructed for this study - the Ewha pregnancy cohort (n = 677) and the infant growth cohort comprising follow-up live newborns of all the recruited pregnant women (n = 317). Maternal serum vitamin and urinary oxidative stress levels were collected and infant weights and heights were measured at birth and at 6 and 12 months after birth.


RESULTS
Division of the subjects into folate-deficient and normal groups revealed that infant weight and height at 0, 6 and 12 months were adversely affected by folate deficiency. High maternal vitamin C was associated with increased infant weight and height at birth and after birth.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate the importance of preventing folate deficiency and supplementing vitamin C during pregnancy.
Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 911-1 Mok-dong, Yangcheon-Gu, Seoul 158-710, South Korea.
Juhee
J
Hong
Eun Ae
EA
Park
Young-Ju
YJ
Kim
Hwa Young
HY
Lee
Bo-Hyun
BH
Park
Eun-Hee
EH
Ha
Kyoung Ae
KA
Kong
Hyesook
H
Park
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood*
D000975:Antioxidants; D014815:Vitamins; D001205:Ascorbic Acid