BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVES:Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major public health problem. The supplementation of lactating women could be an effective strategy to combat it. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of maternal vitamin A supplementation on the mother-infant pair. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: This was a double blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical assay in which 33 women received 200 000 IU of vitamin Aand 33 women receivedsoy oil between 20th and 30th postpartum days. Maternal blood and milk samples were collected immediately before supplementation and 3 months after delivery, when blood was also collected from the babies. Retinol concentrations 0.70 μmol/l in serum and 1.05 μmol/l in milk were considered to indicate VAD. RESULTS: Increase in serum retinol level was observed in the supplemented group compared with the pre-supplementation levels (1.05 and 1.17 μmol/l, respectively; P=0.026) and to the post-supplementation levels of the control group (1.02 μmol/l; P=0.032). Reduction in breast milk retinol was observed in the control group compared with the pre-supplementation levels (1.93 and 1.34 μmol/l, respectively; P<0.0001) and to the post-supplementation levels of the supplemented group (1.56 μmol/l; P=0.0003). There was significant difference in the prevalence of VAD in breast milk after supplementation, 55.6% (15/27) in the control group and 16.1% (5/31) in the supplemented group (P=0.002). VAD was present in 66.1% (39/59) of infants, with mean serum retinol levels of 0.64±0.30 μmol/l in the control group and of 0.69±0.26 μmol/l in the supplemented group. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation had a positive impact on maternal vitamin A status. No effect on infant status was detectable 2 months after supplementation with a single dose.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVES: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major public health problem. The supplementation of lactating women could be an effective strategy to combat it. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of maternal vitamin A supplementation on the mother-infant pair. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: This was a double blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical assay in which 33 women received 200 000 IU of vitamin A and 33 women received soy oil between 20th and 30th postpartum days. Maternal blood and milk samples were collected immediately before supplementation and 3 months after delivery, when blood was also collected from the babies. Retinol concentrations 0.70 μmol/l in serum and 1.05 μmol/l in milk were considered to indicate VAD. RESULTS: Increase in serum retinol level was observed in the supplemented group compared with the pre-supplementation levels (1.05 and 1.17 μmol/l, respectively; P=0.026) and to the post-supplementation levels of the control group (1.02 μmol/l; P=0.032). Reduction in breast milkretinol was observed in the control group compared with the pre-supplementation levels (1.93 and 1.34 μmol/l, respectively; P<0.0001) and to the post-supplementation levels of the supplemented group (1.56 μmol/l; P=0.0003). There was significant difference in the prevalence of VAD in breast milk after supplementation, 55.6% (15/27) in the control group and 16.1% (5/31) in the supplemented group (P=0.002). VAD was present in 66.1% (39/59) of infants, with mean serum retinol levels of 0.64±0.30 μmol/l in the control group and of 0.69±0.26 μmol/l in the supplemented group. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation had a positive impact on maternal vitamin A status. No effect on infant status was detectable 2 months after supplementation with a single dose.