title: Maternal serum retinol and β-carotene concentrations and neonatal bone mineralization: results from the Southampton Women's Survey cohort.
abstract: Studies in older adults and animals have suggested contrasting relations between bone health and different vitamin A compounds. To our knowledge, the associations between maternal vitamin A status and offspring bone development have not previously been elucidated.
  
  
  
  We examined the associations between maternal serum retinol and β-carotene concentrations during late pregnancy and offspring bone mineralization assessed at birth with the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
  
  
  
  In the Southampton Women's Survey mother-offspring birth cohort, maternal health, lifestyle, and diet were assessed prepregnancy and at 11 and 34 wk of gestation. In late pregnancy, maternal serum retinol and β-carotene concentrations were measured. Offspring total body bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone area (BA) were measured within 2 wk after birth.
  
  
  
  In total, 520 and 446 mother-offspring pairs had measurements of maternal serum retinol and β-carotene, respectively. Higher maternal serum retinol in late pregnancy was associated with lower offspring total body BMC (β = -0.10 SD/SD; 95% CI: -0.19, -0.02; P = 0.020) and BA (β = -0.12 SD/SD; 95% CI: -0.20, -0.03; P = 0.009) but not BMD. Conversely, higher maternal serum β-carotene concentrations in late pregnancy were associated with greater total body BMC (β = 0.12 SD/SD; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.21; P = 0.016) and BA (β = 0.12 SD/SD; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.22; P = 0.010) but not BMD.
  
  
  
  Maternal serum retinol and β-carotene concentrations had differing associations with offspring bone size and growth at birth: retinol was negatively associated with these measurements, whereas β-carotene was positively associated. These findings highlight the need for further investigation of the effects of maternal retinol and carotenoid status on offspring bone development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Research, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Research Unit for Dietary Studies, Parker Institute and the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit.
authors.forename: Mina N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Händel
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit.
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Titcombe
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Research, Odense Patient Data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Medicine, Holbæk Hospital, Holbæk, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abrahamsen
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health and Research Unit for Dietary Studies, Parker Institute and the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Section of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Denmark; and.
authors.forename: Berit L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Heitmann
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton National Health Service Foundation Trust, and Human Development and Health Academic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Philip C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Calder
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit.
authors.forename: Elaine M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Dennison
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton National Health Service Foundation Trust, and.
authors.forename: Sian M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton National Health Service Foundation Trust, and.
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton National Health Service Foundation Trust, and.
authors.forename: Hazel M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Inskip
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton National Health Service Foundation Trust, and National Institute for Health Research Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom cc@mrc.soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Cyrus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton National Health Service Foundation Trust, and.
authors.forename: Nicholas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Harvey
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D001846:Bone Development; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D006113:United Kingdom; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A
keywords: bone development; epidemiology; pregnancy; retinol; vitamin A; β-carotene