title: High maternal vitamin E intake by diet or supplements is associated with congenital heart defects in the offspring.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study associations between maternal dietary and supplement intake of antioxidants vitamin E, retinol and congenital heart defects (CHDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 276 case mothers of a child with CHD and 324 control mothers with their children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Food frequency questionnaires covering the intake of the previous 4 weeks were filled out at 16 months after the index pregnancy. Data were compared between cases and controls using the Mann-Whitney U test. Risk estimates for the association between CHD and dietary intake of vitamin E and retinol were estimated in a multivariable logistic regression model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medians (5-95th percentile) and odds ratios with 95% CI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dietary vitamin E intake was higher in case mothers than in controls, 13.3 (8.1-20.4) and 12.6 (8.5-19.8) mg/day (P= 0.05). CHD risk increased with rising dietary vitamin E intakes (P-trend = 0.01). Periconception use of vitamin E supplements in addition to a high dietary vitamin E intake above 14.9 mg/day up to nine-fold increased CHD risk. Retinol intakes were not significantly different between the groups and not associated with CHD risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High maternal vitamin E by diet and supplements is associated with an increased risk of CHD offspring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H P M
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Smedts
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rakhshandehroo
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Wildhagen
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Verkleij-Hagoort
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Steegers
authors.forename: R P M
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Steegers-Theunissen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D016742:Preconception Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E