BLOOD VITAMIN LEVELS IN ABORIGINAL CHILDREN AND THEIR MOTHERS IN WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES

Vitamin blood studies were carried out in 65 Aboriginal children aged from 6 weeks to 16 years, and in 28 mothers living in and around Collarenebri and Walgett, N.S.W. A group of 17 Europeans from Collarenebri was tested for comparison. The vitamins analysed in the plasma were vitamin C, vitamin A and its provitamin β‐carotene, vitamin E and folic acid. Functional tests in the erythrocytes were used to assess status of the vitamins B 1 , B 2 and B 6 . Results of the biochemical screening of vitamins were interpreted on the basis of data obtained in detailed studies of small groups of Australians which included analysis of the diet and clinical assessment of nutritional status. Overseas standards are referred to, particularly for the fat‐soluble vitamins. Plasma vitamin C levels in respect to population groups were considered to be very low (≤ 0·2 mg/100 ml) in 27% of the Aborigines in Collarenebri (N, 66), 48% of the Aborigines at Walgett (N, 27), and 12% of the Europeans at Collarenebri (N, 17). Plasma vitamin C levels of 0·0 to 0·1 mg/100 ml, which are considered deficient by any standards, were found only amongst the Aboriginals, namely in one child of each age group and six (29%) mothers from Collarenebri, and in three (43%) mothers from Walgett. Concurrent unacceptable plasma levels of vitamin A (≤ 70 IU/100 ml), β‐carotene (≤ 40 μg/100 ml) and vitamin E (≤ 0·35 mg/100 ml) were present in a significant number of Aboriginal children aged up to six years. Plasma vitamin E levels of ≤ 0·35 mg/100 ml were found in Aboriginal infants, older children and one of the mothers, but none of the Europeans had levels below 0·67 mg/100 ml. Functional tests in the erythrocytes revealed a higher incidence of inadequate vitamin B 2 status in the Aboriginals than in the Europeans, but abnormalities of vitamin B 1 and B 6 levels were present in both groups. Seventeen of 26 Aboriginal women tested had low plasma levels of folic acid (≤ 2·7 ng/ml) and a statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between the plasma levels of folic acid and vitamin C of these women. The findings provide evidence that biochemical vitamin C deficiency exists among the Aboriginal children and their mothers, and that in addition there is a prevalence of multiple biochemical deficiencies in the Aboriginal population. Low plasma levels of the vitamins A and E amongst infants and preschool Aboriginal children may reflect either poor nutrition or disturbance in gastrointestinal absorption resulting from infections, or a combination of both causes. The significance of low β‐carotene (provitamin A) levels in the plasma is unknown. Similar findings were common to other groups of Australians but in contrast to overseas data were not correlated to dietary intakes. The difference in biochemical vitamin E status between Aborigines and Europeans requires further investigation. A correlation was demonstrated between the biochemical evaluation reported in the study and dietary intakes of vitamin C and to some extent of the vitamins B 1 , B 2 and B 6 in other groups of Australians. It may be therefore concluded that the results presented confirm the findings of other investigators into Aboriginal nutrition quoted in this paper and show the need for specific measures to improve not only the vitamin C status, but the overall nutritional status of Aboriginal children, and of Aboriginal women of child‐bearing age.