title: Association between maternal vitamin E status and alpha-tocopherol levels in the newborn and colostrum.
abstract: Vitamin E is important because of its antioxidant activity in situations of oxidative stress, especially postnatally. Hence, the objective was to verify whether maternal alpha-tocopherol level is associated with the alpha-tocopherol levels of the newborn and colostrum. This is a cross-sectional study of 58 women and their term newborns from a public hospital. Blood and colostrum were collected to measure alpha-tocopherol levels by high-performance liquid chromatography. Mothers with serum alpha-tocopherol levels <16.2 mmol L(-1) and newborns <11.6 mmol L(-1) were indicative of deficiency or low levels. Mothers were divided into two groups: <16.2 mmol L(-1) and those with levels ≥16.2 mmol L(-1) . The mean (95% confidence interval) serum alpha-tocopherol levels of mothers, umbilical cords and colostrum were 28 (24-32), 6 (5-8) and 39 mmol L(-1) (32-45), respectively (P < 0.001); 19% of the women and 90% of the newborns had low alpha-tocopherol levels. Maternal alpha-tocopherol level was associated with that of the umbilical cord. Newborns from mothers at risk of deficiency had low alpha-tocopherol levels (P < 0.001). Colostrum levels of vitamin E were not influenced by maternal serum. Maternal deficiency influenced the vitamin E level of the umbilical cord but does not in the colostrum, evidencing distinct transfer mechanisms via the mammary gland.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil. karladaniellysr@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Karla Danielly
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: da Silva Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mayara Santa Rosa
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jeane Franco Pires
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Sousa Rebouças
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel Costa Silva
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas do Trairi, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Danielle Soares
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mônica Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Osório
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dimenstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003126:Colostrum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009035:Mothers; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000737:chemistry; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D055815:Young Adult; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol
keywords: breast milk; lactation; micronutrients; neonate; nutritional status; vitamin E