[Serum retinol and carotenoid of rural infants and young children in Linyi of Shangdong Province and analysis on their related influencing dietary factors].
OBJECTIVE
The study was carried out to determine serum retinol and carotenoid of infants and young children in rural areas, and to explore their related dietary factors.


METHODS
A total of 254 rural healthy infants and young children aged 6-24 month-old were recruited from a program for health examination and feeding survey conducted in villages in Meibu of Linyi of Shandong Province by cluster sampling method. Serum retinol, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin and lutein + zeaxanthin were detected with HPLC. The frequency of food intake of babies during the past month was inquired from their mothers or baby-sitters. The relationship between serum retinol and carotenoid level with some factors related to feeding pattern was analyzed.


RESULTS
The average serum retinol was (0.96 +/- 0.55) micromol/L with little variation by age (P > 0.05). The prevalence of serum vitamin A deficiency and marginal deficiency were 40.6% and 32.6%. The average serum beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin and lutein + zeaxanthin were (0.056 +/- 0.088) micromol/L, (3.3 +/- 12.1) nmol/L, (27.0 +/- 45.2) nmol/L and (0.22 +/- 0.22) micromol/L, respectively, and no significant difference between age groups on serum beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin (all were P > 0.05) except lutein + zeaxanthin (P < 0.05). Breast feeding and formula feeding were significant dietary factors influencing serum retinol and carotenoids levels. The frequency of breast-feeding was correlated significantly with serum beta-carotene (P < 0.05). Serum retinol was correlated positively with carotenoids and among carotenoids with each other (all were P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin A deficiency and marginal deficiency were prevalent in the investigated infants and young children. Serum carotenoid was little variation with age, but was different significantly with dietary patterns fed by breast milk, formula, or fruits and vegetables.
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China. fanping_nutri@163.com
Ping
P
Fan
Yao
Y
Shen
Yonghua
Y
Li
Aiqin
A
Ma
Zhongqing
Z
Sun
Zhixu
Z
Wang
D001942:Breast Feeding; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D008895:Milk, Human; D012424:Rural Population; D014675:Vegetables; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood*
D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; C041635:alpha-carotene