Vitamin A status of puerperal adolescents and adults attending public maternity hospitals

ABSTRACT

Objective

To assess the vitamin A status of puerperal adolescents and adults in relation to food intake, serum and colostrum retinol, and the supply of this vitamin to the newborn.

Methods

Dietary vitamin A intake was investigated by a food frequency questionnaire. Fasting blood and colostrum samples were collected for retinol quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography. Newborn vitamin A intake was given by multiplying milk intake by the mean colostrum retinol level.

Results

This cross-sectional study included 136 puerperal women (68 adolescents and 68 adults) seen at a public maternity hospital. The estimated dietary intake was 681.2±535 µgRAE/day for adolescents and 891.8±831.5 µgRAE/day for adults (p>0.05). The mean serum retinol levels were 40.6±9.7 µg/dL in adolescents and 44.9±10.9 µg/dL in adults (p<0.05). The mean colostrum retinol levels in adolescents and adults were 83.1±26.5 µg/dL and 81.8±29.8 µg/dL, respectively (p>0.05). The adolescents' newborns had a mean retinol intake of 435.1±140.7 µgRAE/day, and the adults' newborns had a mean retinol intake of 409.7 ± 150.8 µgRAE/day. Twenty-nine (42.6%) adolescents and thirty-six (52.9%) adults did not supply enough vitamin A per day to their newborns.

Conclusion

Adolescents had inadequate vitamin A intake. Adolescents and adults had similar prevalences of inadequate serum retinol. Some adolescents and adults had inadequate colostrum retinol levels, resulting in low retinol intake by their newborns.

Keywords:
Colostrum; Infant; Postpartum period; Vitamin A