Open AccessAssociation between maternal vitamin E status and alpha‐tocopherol levels in the newborn and colostrum
Author(s) -
Ribeiro Karla Danielly,
Lima Mayara Santa Rosa,
Medeiros Jeane Franco Pires,
Rebouças Amanda,
Dantas Raquel Costa Silva,
Bezerra Danielle Soares,
Osório Mônica Maria,
Dimenstein Roberto
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
maternal and child nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1740-8709
pISSN - 1740-8695
DOI - 10.1111/mcn.12232
Subject(s) - colostrum , medicine , umbilical cord , vitamin e , alpha tocopherol , tocopherol , cord blood , fetus , endocrinology , alpha (finance) , confidence interval , pregnancy , physiology , obstetrics , antioxidant , immunology , biology , biochemistry , antibody , surgery , genetics , construct validity , patient satisfaction
Vitamin E is important because of its antioxidant activity in situations of oxidative stress, especially postnatally. Hence, the objective was to verify whether maternal alpha‐tocopherol level is associated with the alpha‐tocopherol levels of the newborn and colostrum. This is a cross‐sectional study of 58 women and their term newborns from a public hospital. Blood and colostrum were collected to measure alpha‐tocopherol levels by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Mothers with serum alpha‐tocopherol levels <16.2 mmol L −1 and newborns <11.6 mmol L −1 were indicative of deficiency or low levels. Mothers were divided into two groups: <16.2 mmol L −1 and those with levels ≥16.2 mmol L −1 . The mean (95% confidence interval) serum alpha‐tocopherol levels of mothers, umbilical cords and colostrum were 28 (24–32), 6 (5–8) and 39 mmol L −1 (32–45), respectively ( P < 0.001); 19% of the women and 90% of the newborns had low alpha‐tocopherol levels. Maternal alpha‐tocopherol level was associated with that of the umbilical cord. Newborns from mothers at risk of deficiency had low alpha‐tocopherol levels ( P < 0.001). Colostrum levels of vitamin E were not influenced by maternal serum. Maternal deficiency influenced the vitamin E level of the umbilical cord but does not in the colostrum, evidencing distinct transfer mechanisms via the mammary gland.