title: Vitamin A supply to mothers and children:  challenges and opportunities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although we are close to the centennial of the discovery of vitamin A, our understanding of the functions of this major micronutrient is still evolving. Given its major role in fetal development, growth, vision, immunity and survival, a subtle balance is required between adequate intake to avoid deficiency and excessive intake to avoid toxicity, both in low income and industrialized countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This review highlights the potential impact of vitamin A supplementation (VAS) in mothers and children suffering from vitamin A deficiency (VAD) on mortality and morbidities, and warns against the increasingly frequent use of bariatric surgery especially to treat severely obese childbearing women, which is known to alter vitamin A status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite massive vitamin A supplementation public health policies in developing countries, the burden of VAD is still common and efforts should be maintained to better target populations at risk, and to develop alternative strategies for supplementation based on sustainable and integrated approaches. In industrialized countries, VAD due to insufficient intake is scarce, but it may surprisingly occur due to the decreased absorption of lipids following antiobesity treatments. Specific approaches should be developed to better monitor and supplement obese childbearing women who have undergone bariatric surgery.
authors.affiliation: UMR 5248 Chimie et Biologie des Membranes et des Nanoobjets CNRS, University Bordeaux, Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy de St Hilaire, Pessac, France. p.sauvant@cbmn.u-bordeaux.fr
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sauvant
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Féart
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atgié
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A