title: Vitamin A and vitamin B-12 concentrations in relation to mortality and morbidity among children born to HIV-infected women.
abstract: Vitamin A supplementation starting at 6 months of age is an important child survival intervention; however, not much is known about the association between vitamin A status before 6 months and mortality among children born to HIV-infected women. Plasma concentrations of vitamins A and B-12 were available at 6 weeks of age (n = 576 and 529, respectively) for children born to HIV-infected women and they were followed up for morbidity and survival status until 24 months after birth. Children in the highest quartile of vitamin A had a 49% lower risk of death by 24 months of age compared to the lowest quartile (HR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.29-0.90; P-value for trend = 0.01). Higher vitamin A levels were protective in the sub-groups of HIV-infected and un-infected children but this was statistically significant only in the HIV-uninfected subgroup. Higher vitamin A concentrations in plasma are protective against mortality in children born to HIV-infected women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. achatterjee24@post.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Anirban
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manji
authors.forename: Gernard I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Msamanga
authors.forename: Wafaie W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Fawzi
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D014805:Vitamin B 12