beta-carotene and Birth-Weight

Low birth weight (LBW) is an important public health problem in undernourished populations.. We tested whether improving women's dietary micronutrient quality before conception and throughout pregnancy increases birth weight in a high-risk Indian population.. The study was a nonblinded, individually randomized controlled trial. The intervention was a daily snack made from green leafy vegetables, fruit, and milk (treatment group) or low-micronutrient vegetables (potato and onion) (control group) from ≥ 90 d before pregnancy until delivery in addition to the usual diet. Treatment snacks contained 0.69 MJ of energy (controls: 0.37 MJ) and 10-23% of WHO Reference Nutrient Intakes of β-carotene, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, and iron (controls: 0-7%). The primary outcome was birth weight.. Of 6513 women randomly assigned, 2291 women became pregnant, 1962 women delivered live singleton newborns, and 1360 newborns were measured. In an intention-to-treat analysis, there was no overall increase in birth weight in the treatment group (+26 g; 95% CI: -15, 68 g; P = 0.22). There was an interaction (P < 0.001) between the allocation group and maternal prepregnant body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) [birth-weight effect: -23, +34, and +96 g in lowest (<18.6), middle (18.6-21.8), and highest (>21.8) thirds of BMI, respectively]. In 1094 newborns whose mothers started supplementation ≥ 90 d before pregnancy (per-protocol analysis), birth weight was higher in the treatment group (+48 g; 95% CI: 1, 96 g; P = 0.046). Again, the effect increased with maternal BMI (-8, +79, and +113 g; P-interaction = 0.001). There were similar results for LBW (intention-to-treat OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.05; P = 0.10; per-protocol OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.98; P = 0.03) but no effect on gestational age in either analysis.. A daily snack providing additional green leafy vegetables, fruit, and milk before conception and throughout pregnancy had no overall effect on birth weight. Per-protocol and subgroup analyses indicated a possible increase in birth weight if the mother was supplemented ≥ 3 mo before conception and was not underweight. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn/ as ISRCTN62811278.

Topics: Adult; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Body Mass Index; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Energy Intake; Female; Folic Acid; Fruit; Gestational Age; Health Promotion; Humans; India; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Micronutrients; Patient Compliance; Pregnancy; Riboflavin; Socioeconomic Factors; Vegetables; Vitamin B 12; Young Adult

Micronutrient deficiencies may be related to poor fetal growth and short gestation. Few studies have investigated the contribution of maternal vitamin A deficiency to these outcomes.. In rural northwestern Bangladesh, we examined the effects of weekly antenatal vitamin A and β-carotene supplementation on birth weight, length, circumferential body measures, and length of gestation.. With the use of a cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled trial design, pregnant women were enrolled in the first trimester and began receiving their allocated supplements (vitamin A, β-carotene, or placebo) weekly until 3 mo postpartum. Birth anthropometric measures were made at home.. Of 13,709 newborns whose birth weight was measured within 72 h of birth, mean (±SD) weight was 2.44 ± 0.42 kg, the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) was 54.4%, and that of small-for-gestational age (SGA) was 70.5%. Birth weight, length, and chest, head, and arm circumferences did not differ between supplementation and placebo groups nor did rates of LBW and SGA. Mean gestational age at birth was 38.3 ± 2.9 wk, and 25.6% of births occurred before 37 wk. Neither gestational age nor preterm birth rate differed with vitamin A or β-carotene supplementation.. In this rural South Asian population with a high burden of LBW and preterm birth but modest levels of maternal vitamin A deficiency, antenatal vitamin A or β-carotene supplementation did not benefit these birth outcomes. Other nutritional and nonnutritional interventions should be examined to reduce risks of these adverse outcomes in rural South Asia. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00198822.

Topics: Adult; Bangladesh; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Cluster Analysis; Dietary Supplements; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Micronutrients; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Premature Birth; Prevalence; Rural Population; Treatment Outcome; Vitamin A; Vitamin A Deficiency; Young Adult

Deficiencies of vitamin A, iron, and zinc are prevalent in women and infants in developing countries. Supplementation during pregnancy can benefit mother and infant.. We examined whether supplementation during pregnancy with iron and folic acid plus beta-carotene or zinc or both improves the micronutrient status of mothers and infants postpartum.. Pregnant women (n = 170) were supplemented daily only during pregnancy with beta-carotene (4.5 mg), zinc (30 mg), or both or placebo plus iron (30 mg) and folic acid (0.4 mg) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Micronutrient status was assessed 1 and 6 mo postpartum.. Six months postpartum, plasma retinol concentrations were higher in the women who received zinc during pregnancy than in women who did not. Infants born to mothers supplemented with beta-carotene + zinc had higher plasma retinol concentrations, with the frequency of vitamin A deficiency reduced by >30% compared with the other 3 groups. Breast-milk beta-carotene concentrations were higher in all women supplemented with beta-carotene, but breast-milk retinol concentrations were higher only in women who received beta-carotene + zinc. Zinc concentrations did not differ among groups in mothers and infants.. Zinc supplementation during pregnancy improved the vitamin A status of mothers and infants postpartum, which indicates a specific role of zinc in vitamin A metabolism. Addition of both beta-carotene and zinc to iron supplements during pregnancy could be effective in improving the vitamin A status of mothers and infants.

Topics: Adult; Avitaminosis; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Body Mass Index; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Indonesia; Infant, Newborn; Milk, Human; Nutritional Status; Pregnancy; Vitamin A; Zinc

Maternal antioxidants intake and plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) concentration during pregnancy might influence on birth outcomes. This study was conducted to determine the association between dietary antioxidants intake and plasma TAC during pregnancy with birth outcomes.. Overall, 220 mother-infant pairs were recruited in the first trimester of pregnancy. Maternal whole blood was collected and TAC was determined by the ELISA kit. Food frequency questionnaire was used to collect information regarding usual dietary intake. Birth size measurements including birth weight, length and head circumference were measured according to standardized protocols.. Energy-adjusted intake of beta-carotene in the first trimester of gestation [beta (SE) = 0.0002 (0.00008); p = 0.016] and energy-adjusted intake of vitamin E in third trimester of pregnancy [beta (SE) = -0.31 (0.15); p = 0.046] had significantly positive and negative associations with birth length, respectively. The maternal plasma TAC was positively correlated with birth weight in both unadjusted and adjusted models [beta (SE) = 2.75 (1.35); p = 0.043 and beta (SE) = 3.43 (1.50); p = 0.023, respectively]. In addition, the adjusted model showed a significant positive relationship between the maternal plasma TAC and birth length [beta (SE) = 0.023 (0.009); p = 0.01].. This study showed the positive association of maternal plasma TAC with birth weight and length. Moreover, maternal dietary intake of beta-carotene in the first trimester and vitamin E in the third trimester of pregnancy had significant positive and negative correlations with birth length, respectively.

Topics: Antioxidants; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Diet; Eating; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Vitamin E

The objectives of this study are to compare the nutritional status of vitamin A in women who previously underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) who became pregnant or did not, in the same period after surgery, and to assess its effects on mother and child health.. A retrospective longitudinal study conducted with women who previously underwent RYGB, paired by age and BMI measured before surgery, divided into group 1 (G1) comprising 77 women who did not become pregnant and group 2 (G2) with 39 women in their third gestational trimester. Both groups were assessed before surgery (T0) and in the same interval after surgery: less than or equal to 1 year (T1) or over 1 year (T2), during a maximum of 2 years. Serum concentrations of retinol and β-carotene, night blindness (NB), and gestational and neonatal complications were investigated [urinary tract infection, iron deficiency anemia, hypertensive syndrome of pregnancy, dumping syndrome, birth weight, gestational age at birth (GAB), and correlation between weight and GAB]. Data were analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences 21.0 (p < 0.05).. RYGB reduced the serum levels of retinol and β-carotene, especially before the first postsurgical year. When associated with pregnancy, inadequacy rate was 55% higher in T1 and T2. Comparing G1 to G2, we noted that pregnancy in women undergoing RYGB can contribute to increased inadequacy of retinol and β-carotene, reaching a higher percentage of women with NB after 1 postsurgical year. High prevalence of pregnancy/neonatal complications was found in T1 and T2. NB was correlated with inadequacy of β-carotene.. Pregnancy after RYGB aggravates vitamin A deficiency, increases the percentage of NB cases, and can contribute to pregnancy and neonatal complications even in 1 postsurgical year.

Topics: Adult; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Child; Disease Progression; Female; Gastric Bypass; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Longitudinal Studies; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers; Nutritional Status; Obesity, Morbid; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Outcome; Retrospective Studies; Vitamin A; Vitamin A Deficiency; Young Adult

To evaluate vitamin A status and its relationship with serum zinc concentrations among pregnant women who had previously undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), correlating these measures with anthropometric maternal characteristics and perinatal outcomes.. An analytical prospective longitudinal study was conducted at a clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between March 3, 2008, and March 30, 2012, among women with singleton pregnancies who had previously undergone RYGB. Participants received daily oral supplementation with 5000 IU retinol and 15 mg zinc. Variables assessed included vitamin A status (serum retinol and β-carotene; gestational night blindness), serum zinc concentration, maternal anthropometry, complications during pregnancy, and perinatal outcomes.. Overall, 30 women participated. In all trimesters, more than 60% had inadequate serum levels of retinol or β-carotene. Night blindness was reported by 17 (57%) women in each trimester. Only 6 (20%) women had zinc inadequacy in the first and third trimesters. No significant association was observed between serum retinol or zinc and maternal anthropometry and birth weight. Vitamin A deficiency was associated with urinary tract infection (first trimester, P=0.020) and dumping syndrome (third trimester, P=0.013).. Despite RYGB and nutritional deficiencies (especially of vitamin A and zinc) increasing risks during pregnancy, there was no apparent fetal compromise when considering the analysis of birth weight and length of pregnancy at birth.

Topics: Adult; Anthropometry; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Brazil; Female; Gastric Bypass; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Longitudinal Studies; Night Blindness; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Outcome; Pregnancy Trimesters; Prospective Studies; Vitamin A; Vitamin A Deficiency; Zinc

The role of oxidative stress is well known in the pathogenesis of acquired malnutrition. Intrauterine growth restriction has been associated with an imbalance in oxidative stress/antioxidant system. Therefore, early postnatal environment and, consequently, extrauterine growth restriction might be associated with alterations in the antioxidant defense system, even in the prepubertal stage.. This is a descriptive, analytical, and observational case-control study. The study included two groups; 38 Caucasian prepubertal children born prematurely and with a history of extrauterine growth restriction as the case group, and 123 gender- and age-matched controls. Plasma exogenous antioxidant (retinol, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol) concentrations were measured by HPLC; antioxidant enzyme activities of catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase were determined in lysed erythrocytes by spectrophotometric techniques.. Catalase and glutathione peroxidase concentrations were significantly lower in extrauterine growth restriction children than in controls (P < 0.001). Lower plasma retinol concentrations were found in the case group (P = 0.029), while concentrations of β-carotene and α-tocopherol were higher (P < 0.001) in extrauterine growth restriction prepubertal children as compared with controls. After correction by gestational age, birth weight, and length, statistically significant differences were also found, except for retinol.. Prepubertal children with a history of extrauterine growth restriction present alterations in their antioxidant defense system. Knowing these alterations may be important in establishing pharmacological and nutritional treatments as this situation might be associated with higher metabolic disorders in adulthood.

Topics: alpha-Tocopherol; Antioxidants; beta Carotene; Biomarkers; Birth Weight; Case-Control Studies; Catalase; Child; Child, Preschool; Erythrocytes; Female; Gestational Age; Glutathione Peroxidase; Glutathione Reductase; Growth Disorders; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Male; Nutritional Status; Oxidative Stress; Superoxide Dismutase; Vitamin A

Previous studies have reported maternal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), as well as DNA adducts reflecting total PAH exposure, to be associated with reduced fetal growth. The role of diet, the main source of PAH exposure among non-smokers, remains uncertain.. To assess associations between birth weight, length and small size for gestational age (SGA) with maternal intakes of the genotoxic PAH benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] during pregnancy, exploring potential effect modification by dietary intakes of vitamin C, vitamin E, alpha- and beta-carotene, as well as glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) polymorphisms, hypothesized to influence PAH metabolism.. 657 women in the INMA (Environment and Childhood) Project from Sabadell (Barcelona) were recruited during the first trimester of pregnancy. Dietary B(a)P and nutrient intakes were estimated from food consumption data. Genotyping was conducted for the Ile105Val variant of GSTP1. Multivariable models were used to assess associations between size at birth and dietary B(a)P, evaluating potential interactions with candidate nutrients and GSTP1 variants.. There were significant interactions between elevated intakes of vitamin C (above the mean of 189.41 mg/day) and dietary B(a)P during the first trimester of pregnancy in models for birth weight and length (P<0.05), but no interactions were found with other nutrients. B(a)P intakes were associated with significant reductions in birth weight and length (coefficient±SE for a 1-SD increase in B(a)P: -101.63±34.62 g and -0.38±0.16 cm, respectively) among women with low, but not high, vitamin C intakes. Elevated dietary B(a)P was also associated with increased risk of SGA births among women with low dietary vitamin C. Among these women, associations were strongest in those carrying the GSTP1 Val allele, associated with lower contaminant detoxification activity.. Results suggest that dietary B(a)P exposure may impair fetal growth, particularly in genetically susceptible populations, and that increasing maternal intakes of vitamin C may help to reduce any adverse effects.

Topics: Adult; Ascorbic Acid; Benzo(a)pyrene; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Diet; DNA Adducts; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Fetal Development; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Glutathione Transferase; Humans; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Male; Maternal Exposure; Polymorphism, Genetic; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Vitamin E

To investigate the association of infant birthweight with maternal diet and supplement intake.. Prospective cohort study of 504 European and Polynesian urban and rural pregnant volunteers recruited from northern New Zealand clinics. Subjects were visited in months 4 (mth4) and 7 (mth7) of pregnancy when height, weight and skinfolds were measured, questionnaires to determine personal details administered, and diet assessed by a 24-hour recall and 3-day food record.. After adjusting for confounders nutrients accounted for up to 5.0% of the total variance in birthweight. Ethnicity was not a significant confounder. A quadratic relationship existed between birthweight and % total energy (%TE) from carbohydrate, fat and protein, most significantly with carbohydrate energy (P=0.002). Birthweight was greatest (approximately 3600 g) when carbohydrate %TE was 48%, fat 35% and protein 17%. Birthweight was reduced with high beta-carotene intakes (mth4, P=0.009) and with both high retinol and beta-carotene intakes in mth4 and 7 (average). Birthweight was positively associated with increasing pantothenic acid/biotin ratios (P=0.011), magnesium (P=0.000) and vitamin D (P=0.015) intakes in mth4; with biotin (P=0.040) and B(12) intakes above the RDI (P=0.006) in mth7; and with pantothenic acid intake in mth4&7 (P=0.002). Dietary supplement usage was associated with increased birthweight, most significantly iron supplementation (P=0.006).. Birthweight was associated with the %TE from carbohydrate, fat and protein, and with beta-carotene, retinol, vitamins D and B(12), pantothenic acid, biotin and magnesium intakes and iron supplementation. More research may be required on some dietary recommendations for pregnancy.

Topics: Adult; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Diet; Diet Surveys; Dietary Supplements; Energy Intake; Female; Humans; Iron, Dietary; Micronutrients; New Zealand; Pregnancy; Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Prospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vitamin A; Young Adult

To gain information about the micronutrient status of urban, middle-income, breast-feeding mothers in relation to zinc and selected fat-soluble vitamins in plasma and breast milk and to assess possible interaction between the measured micronutrients.. Cross-sectional study.. 91 mothers and their infants living in middle-income areas of Jakarta, Indonesia.. None of the measured anthropometric data of the mothers (e.g. BMI: 22.0+/-3.1 kg/m2) and their infants (birth weight: 3.2+/-0.5 kg) gave any indication of undernutrition. The mean concentrations in blood were 124+/-18 g/l for hemoglobin, 385+/-111 microg/l for retinol, 34+/-23 microg/l for alpha-carotene, 104+/-72 microg/l for beta-carotene, 7.7+/-3.3 mg/l for alpha-tocopherol, 0.57+/-0.23 mg/l for gamma-tocopherol, 855+/-242 microg/l for zinc, and the median concentration of lycopene was 29 microg/l. The median breast milk concentrations were 420 microg/l for retinol, 7.8 microg/l for beta-carotene, and 2.7 mg/l for zinc. With increased duration of lactation, vitamin A and zinc concentrations significantly decreased in breast milk whereas plasma zinc concentration increased. Plasma alpha- and beta-carotene were positively correlated (P < 0.0001) with each other and with plasma lycopene. Breast milk beta-carotene was positively correlated with breast milk retinol and with plasma beta-carotene (P < 0.0001). There was no correlation between zinc and vitamin A in either breast milk or plasma. Forty per cent of the mothers were anemic, 29.1% had a low plasma zinc concentration, and 23.7% had a moderately low plasma vitamin A concentration. Breast milk from 70% of the women had a low concentration of vitamin A and that from 66% had a low concentration of zinc.. Multi-micronutrient intervention should be considered to provide a sufficient supply of zinc and vitamin A for growth of exclusively breast-fed infants.

Topics: Adult; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Body Mass Index; Carotenoids; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Indonesia; Lycopene; Milk, Human; Reference Values; Socioeconomic Factors; Vitamin A; Vitamin A Deficiency; Vitamin E; Zinc

Topics: Antioxidants; beta Carotene; Birth Weight; Cholesterol; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant Food; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Lipid Peroxidation; Malondialdehyde; Milk, Human; Triglycerides; Vitamin A; Vitamin E