Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T23:06:42.782Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of vitamin A supplementation on haemoglobin and vitamin A levels during pregnancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Meena Panth ,
Veena Shatrugna ,
P. Yasodhara  and
B. Sivakumar
Meena Panth
Affiliation:
Nutrition Department, School of Biochemical and Physiological Sciences, Medical and Biological Sciences Building, Southampton University, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton S09 3TU
Veena Shatrugna
Affiliation:
Nutrition Department, School of Biochemical and Physiological Sciences, Medical and Biological Sciences Building, Southampton University, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton S09 3TU
P. Yasodhara
Affiliation:
Nutrition Department, School of Biochemical and Physiological Sciences, Medical and Biological Sciences Building, Southampton University, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton S09 3TU
B. Sivakumar
Affiliation:
Nutrition Department, School of Biochemical and Physiological Sciences, Medical and Biological Sciences Building, Southampton University, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton S09 3TU
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

About 450 pregnant women from a low-income group were recruited to study the effect of vitamin A supplementation on plasma vitamin A levels in the mother and cord and on the birth weights of the neonates. Results showed that supplementation with 1800 μg vitamin A/d for more than 12 weeks prevented the decline in plasma vitamin A that otherwise occurs during the last few weeks of pregnancy. This improvement in maternal values for vitamin A at a critical time of development favourably affected availability to the fetus, as reflected by the marked elevation in cord levels. Supplementation for a period of 12 weeks was found to be sufficient, since subsequent discontinuation did not alter the beneficial response. Apart from increasing maternal and cord vitamin A levels, vitamin A supplementation along with iron prevented, in this study, the significant decline in haemoglobin occurring at 26–28 weeks of gestation. The birth weights were not altered by vitamin A supplementation.

Keywords

Vitamin A supplementationPregnancyHaemoglobin
Type
Pregnancy and Lactation
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 64 , Issue 2 , September 1990 , pp. 351 - 358
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1990

References

Baker, H., Frank, O., Thomson, A. D., Langer, A., Munves, E. D., Angelis, B. & Kaminetzky, H. A. (1975). Vitamin profile of 174 mothers and new borns at parturition. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 28, 59–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Basu, S. R. J. & Arulanantham, R. (1973). A study of serum protein and retinol levels in pregnancy and toxaemia of pregnancy in women of low socio-economic status. Indian Journal of Medical Research 61, 589–595.Google ScholarPubMed
Bodansky, O., Lewis, J. M. & Lillienfeld, M. C. C. (1943). The concentration of vitamin A in the blood plasma during pregnancy. Journal of Clinical Investigation 22, 643–647.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dacie, J. V. & Lewis, S. M. (editors) (1975). In Practical Haematology, 5th ed., p. 32. London: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
Darby, W. J., McGanity, W. J., Martin, M. P., Bridgeforth, E., Densen, P. M., Kaser, M. M., Ogle, P. J., Newbill, J. A., Stockell, A., Ferguson, M. E., Touster, O., McClellan, G. S., William, C. & Cannon, R. O. (1953). The Vanderbilt cooperative study of maternal and infant nutrition. Journal of Nutrition 51, 565–597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dixit, D. T. (1966). Night blindness in third trimester of pregnancy. Indian Journal of Medical Research 54, 791–795.Google Scholar
Ette, S. I, & Ibeziako, P. A. (1984). Vitamin A levels in pregnant Nigerian women and new born. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India 34, 780–784.Google Scholar
Gal, I. & Parkinson, C. E. (1972). Variations in the pattern of maternal serum vitamin A and carotenoids during human reproduction. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 42, 565–575.Google ScholarPubMed
Gal, I. & Parkinson, C. E. (1974). Effects of nutrition and other factors on pregnant women's serum vitamin A levels. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 27, 688–695.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gopalan, C. & Jayarao, K. S. (1972). Nutrition in pregnancy. Tropical Doctor 2, 29–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howells, D. W., Haste, F., Rosenberg, D., Brown, I. R. F. & Brooke, O. G. (1986). Investigation of vitamin A nutrition in pregnant British Asians and their infants. Human Nutrition: Clinical Nutrition 40C, 43–50.Google Scholar
Hytten, F. E. & Leitch, I. (1971). Physiology of Human Pregnancy, 2nd ed., p. 30. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Iyengar, L. & Rajalakshmi, K. (1975). Effect of folic acid supplement on birth weights of infants. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 122, 332–336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jayarao, K. S. & Shatrugna, V. (1976). Effect of vitamin A supplementation on plasma progesterone levels in pregnancy. Indian Journal of Medical Research 64, 1261–1266.Google Scholar
Lewis, J. M., Bodansky, O., Lillienfeld, M. C. C. & Schneider, M. (1947). Supplements of vitamin A and of carotene during pregnancy. American Journal of Diseases in Childhood 73, 143–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lübke, F. & Finkbeiner, H. (1958). Beitrag zum Verhalten des Vitamin-A- und β-Carotin-Spiegels in der Gravidät, unter der Geburt und im Wochenbett. Internationale Zeitschrift für Vitaminforschung 29, 45–68.Google Scholar
Lund, C. J. & Kimble, M. S. (1943). Vitamin A during pregnancy, labor and the puerperium. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 46, 486–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McFee, J. G. (1979). Iron metabolism and iron deficiency during pregnancy. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology 22, 799–808.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGanity, W. J., Little, H. M., Fugelman, A., Jennings, L., Calhoun, C. & Dawson, E. B. (1969). Pregnancy in the adolescent. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 103, 773–788.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mejia, L. A., Hodges, R. E. & Rucker, R. B. (1979). Role of vitamin A in the absorption, retention and distribution of iron in the rat. Journal of Nutrition 109, 129–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moore, T. (1957). Vitamin A, pp. 237–249. Amsterdam: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Morse, E. H., Clarke, R. P., Keyser, D. E., Merrow, S. B. & Bee, D. E. (1975). Comparison of the nutritional status of pregnant adolescents with adult pregnant women. 1. Biochemical findings. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 28, 1000–1013.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neuweiler, W. (1943). Karotin- und Vitamin A-resorption aus der Plazenta. Internationale Zeitschrift für Vitaminforschung 13, 275–280.Google Scholar
Panth, M., Yashodara, P. & Sivakumar, B. (1986). Effect of supplementary vitamin A on plasma vitamin A levels in pregnancy. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society of India 32, 121–125.Google Scholar
Peck, T. M. & Arias, F. (1979). Haematologic changes associated with pregnancy. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology 22, 785–798.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shah, R. S., Rajalakshmi, R., Bhatt, R. V., Hazra, M. N., Patel, B. C. & Swamy, N. B. (1987). Liver stores of vitamin A in human fetuses in relation to gestational age, fetal size and maternal nutritional status. British Journal of Nutrition 58, 181–189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tiews, J. & Zentz, C. (1967). Die Mikrobestimmung von vitamin A in Blutserum und Leberpunktaten mit FeCl3 in Acetylchlorid. Internationale Zeitschrift für Vitaminforschung 37, 307–314.Google Scholar
Venkatachalam, P. S., Belavady, B. & Gopalan, C. (1962). Studies on vitamin A nutritional status of mothers and infants in poor communities of India. Journal of Pediatrics 61, 262–268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vijayalakshmi, P. & Devadas, R. P. (1985). Role of vitamin A in haemopoiesis. XIIIth International Congress of NutritionBrighton. Abstracts of Original Communications. p. 144 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Vijayalakshmi, P. & Lakshmi, R. N. (1983). Effect of vitamin A and iron supplementation on serum levels of these nutrients among expectant mothers. Indian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics 20, 149–152.Google Scholar