QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stoltzfus, R. J. Articles by Dibley, M. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stoltzfus, R. J. Articles by Dibley, M. J.

High Dose Vitamin A Supplementation of Breast-Feeding Indonesian Mothers: Effects on the Vitamin A Status of Mother and Infant^{1, 2,}

Rebecca J. Stoltzfus³, Mohammad Hakimi^*, Kevin W. Miller, Kathleen M. Rasmussen, Siti Dawiesah, Jean-Pierre Habicht and Michael J. Dibley^**

Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6301 ^* Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit Biochemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta 55001, Indonesia ^** Division of Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205

For regions where vitamin A deficiency is common, high dose vitamin A supplementation of lactating mothers is currently recommended, but the effects of this intervention have not been carefully evaluated. We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial in which 153 Indonesian mothers 1–3 wk postpartum received either a capsule containing 312 µmol of vitamin A as retinyl palmitate or a placebo. Mothers' serum retinol concentrations in the vitamin A group tended to be lower than in the placebo group at baseline but higher at 3 mo postpartum (1.39 vs. 1.24 µmol/L, P = 0.03) and 6 mo postpartum (1.23 vs. 1.08 µmol/L, P < 0.01). The milk retinol concentrations of the vitamin A group were higher than those of the placebo group by 0.48 to 1.18 µmol/L at 1–8 mo postpartum (P < 0.05). Among the infants at 6 mo of age, the prevalences of low serum retinol concentration (<0.52 µmol/L) were 36 and 15% in the placebo and vitamin A groups, respectively (P < 0.005), and the prevalences of low vitamin A stores (assessed by relative dose response) were 23 and 10%, respectively (P < 0.03). High dose vitamin A supplementation of lactating mothers is an efficacious way to improve the vitamin A status of both mother and breast-fed infant.

KEY WORDS: • vitamin A • women • lactation • breast milk • infants

¹ Parts of this report were presented at Nutrient Regulation during Pregnancy, Lactation and Infant Growth, a conference of the International Society for Research of Human Milk and Lactation, August 9–12, 1992, Stockholm, Sweden and in abstract form [Stoltzfus, R. J., Hakimi, H., Miller, K. W. and Rasmussen, K. M. (1992) High-dose vitamin A supplementation of lactating women in rural Central Java, Indonesia improves mother's and infant's vitamin A status. FASEB J. 6: A1497 (abs.)].

² Supported by a grant from the Thrasher Research Fund and a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship to Rebecca J. Stoltzfus.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed at the current address: Division of Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205.

Manuscript received 11 August 1992. Revision accepted 9 December 1992.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. D.W. Klemm, A. B. Labrique, P. Christian, M. Rashid, A. A. Shamim, J. Katz, A. Sommer, and K. P. West Jr Newborn Vitamin A Supplementation Reduced Infant Mortality in Rural Bangladesh Pediatrics, July 1, 2008; 122(1): e242 - e250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Idindili, H. Masanja, H. Urassa, W. Bunini, P. van Jaarsveld, J. J Aponte, E. Kahigwa, H. Mshinda, D. Ross, and D. M Schellenberg Randomized controlled safety and efficacy trial of 2 vitamin A supplementation schedules in Tanzanian infants Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2007; 85(5): 1312 - 1319. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F Miller, R. J Stoltzfus, P. J Iliff, L. C Malaba, N. V Mbuya, the Zimbabwe Vitamin A for Mothers and Babies Proj, and J. H Humphrey Effect of maternal and neonatal vitamin A supplementation and other postnatal factors on anemia in Zimbabwean infants: a prospective, randomized study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2006; 84(1): 212 - 222. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. L Penniston and S. A Tanumihardjo The acute and chronic toxic effects of vitamin A Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2006; 83(2): 191 - 201. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. A. Akohoue, J. B. Green, and M. H. Green Dietary Vitamin A Has Both Chronic and Acute Effects on Vitamin A Indices in Lactating Rats and Their Offspring J. Nutr., January 1, 2006; 136(1): 128 - 132. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Piantedosi, N. Ghyselinck, W. S. Blaner, and S. Vogel Cellular Retinol-binding Protein Type III Is Needed for Retinoid Incorporation into Milk J. Biol. Chem., June 24, 2005; 280(25): 24286 - 24292. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]