title: High prevalence of vitamin A deficiency is detected by the modified relative dose-response test in six-month-old Senegalese breast-fed infants.
abstract: To alleviate vitamin A (VA) deficiency (VAD) in Senegal, understanding the relationship between VA status of lactating women and their 6-mo-old infants is important. This study measured 6-mo-old infants' VA intake from human milk and assessed the VA status of mothers and infants. A comprehensive study was undertaken in 34 mother-infant pairs. Nonpregnant lactating women and their infants were included. None of the infants had received a VA supplement. Mothers were grouped as supplemented with 2 doses of 200,000 iu (60,000 μg; 210 μmol) retinol as retinyl palmitate (n = 13) or nonsupplemented (n = 19) after delivery. Breast milk intake was measured by the deuterium dilution technique. Plasma and breast milk retinol concentrations were measured by HPLC. Infants' VA liver stores were assessed by the modified relative dose-response (MRDR) test. Plasma retinol detected 15% VAD among infants and the MRDR test (≥0.06) indicated 73.5% with low VA liver stores. Infants' milk VA intakes were close to estimated requirements (375 μg/d). No correlation was found between infants' plasma retinol and MRDR value. Infants' MRDR value was lower in the group from supplemented mothers (0.055 ± 0.017 vs. 0.073 ± 0.017; P = 0.009), but no difference was observed between plasma retinol concentrations of both groups of mothers; 8.8% of mothers were VA deficient based on plasma retinol (≤0.7 μmol/L). Low VA liver stores were prevalent among Senegalese infants at the beginning of the complementary feeding period. Postpartum VA-supplemented mothers significantly enhanced their infants' VA liver stores.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Nutrition, Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: Anta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agne-Djigo
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Idohou-Dossou
authors.forename: Komlan M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kwadjode
authors.forename: Sherry A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Tanumihardjo
authors.forename: Salimata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wade
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004224:Diterpenes; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007228:Infant Nutrition Disorders; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D015995:Prevalence; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D012675:Senegal / Q000453:epidemiology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D004224:Diterpenes; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A; C014794:retinol palmitate