الفهرس 
Material and methodsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Vitamin A is known to fulfil a number of biological
functions in various animal and human tissue during fetal
life. It is required for growth, for cellular differentiation,
and for normal development of fetuses.
The human fetus derives its vitamin A content from
the mother through the placental circulation, which limits
and controls the passage of the vitamin. Many maternal and
neonatal factors have been reported to affect the delivery
of nutrients and vitamin A to the fetus.
Information on maternal-neonatal vitamin A level and
the factors affecting it, in Egypt, is scarce despite the
well known biological importance of vitamin A during fetal
life.
Vitamin A in blood consists almost entirely of
retinol bound to its specific serum carrier protein,
retinol-binding protein (RBP). Plasma retinol levels are
used as an indicator of vitamin A status in humans when
direct liver analysis is not possible by autopsy or
biopsy. The cut off leve~ of plasma vitamin A concentration
is 20 ~g/dl, below which a deficiency state is
considered.
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In our study, we measured serum vitamin A contents of
100 mothers and their corresponding newborn infants at
birth. All newborn infants were fUll-term, apparently
active babies and born by normal vaginal delivery. The
mean values of plasma vitamin A and RBP in cord blood were
much lower than the corresponding levels obtained from
their mothers. Thirty-one percent of our neonatal group
had low and deficient levels of cord serum vitamin A. This
group had also significant low levels of cord serum RBP,
compared to other values obtained from the neonatal groups
of adequate serum vitamin A levels. On the other hand, 20%
of mothers in our work had deficient levels of vitamin A
in venous blood samples. The corresponding levels of cord
serum vitamin A were significantly lower also.
In the present work, we studied the affection of
maternal age, parity, residence and social class on
vitamin A status of the newborn. We found that both
maternal age and parity had no significant affection on
cord serum vitamin A and RBP levels of birth. Regarding
residence and social class, we reported significantly
lower cord serum vitamin A values in both rural and low
social class groups. But regarding fetal sex, no
significant influence has been reported on our neonatal
vitamin A status.
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The relationship between maternal and neonatal
anthropometric measurements, and vitamin A status of
newborn infants at birth has been evaluated in the present
study. We found no significant influence of maternal
anthropometric parameters on the respective cord serum
vitamin A and RBP values. The different neonatal
anthropometric variables were significantly correlated
with each other, as well as, with cord serum vitamin A and
RBP (except for head circumf.~rence with RBP). Our study
showed a highly significant correlation between vitamin A
status of our neonatal group and their growth status at
birth. Low and deficient vitamin A status at birth could
be a potential indicator of low birth weight.
Both maternal and neonatal hematological indices (Hb
and Hct) were significantly correlated with each other, as
well as, with the corresponding cord serum vitamin A and
RBP. The association of vitamin A deficiency and neonatal
anemia has been proved in our study.
The relationship between maternal and neonatal
nutritional states as judged b~’plasma total protein and
albumin, and vitamin A’ status at birth as jUdged by cord
serum vitamin A and RBP has been evaluated in the present
study. Low vitamin A status of our neonatal group was
associated with low nutritional status at birth.
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from previous data, the importance of adequate
vitamin A SUpply during pregnancy to prevent vitamin Adeficiency and intrauterine growth retardation is
recommended.
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