Plasma vitamins A and E and red blood cell fatty acid profile in newborns and their mothers.

OBJECTIVE

In this work, we have measured the plasma vitamins A and E and red blood cell fatty acid profile in newborns and their mothers and have determined whether there are any relationships between maternal blood and cord blood for the nutrients measured.

SETTING

The study was performed at the Chung Shan Memorial Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.

SUBJECTS

Twenty-nine pairs of mothers and their term infants.

INTERVENTIONS

Maternal venous blood was collected in the first trimester and at delivery, and cord blood was collected at delivery. Plasma vitamin A and E levels were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and red blood cell fatty acid profile was estimated by gas chromatography.

RESULTS

Mothers had significantly greater plasma vitamin A and E levels and vitamin E/total lipid than their term neonates did (P < 0.05). Maternal plasma vitamin E and vitamin E/total lipid were significantly greater in the first trimester than at delivery (P < 0.05). Red blood cell phospholipid oleate and linoleate were significantly greater in maternal red blood cell than in cord blood (P < 0.05), however, stearate and arachidonate were significantly greater in the cord blood than in the maternal blood (P < 0.05). Maternal vitamin E, vitamin E/total lipid, palmitate, linoleate, arachidonate and docosahexaenoate were found positively correlated to those in their neonates (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that there is a relationship between maternal blood and cord blood for some nutrients. Therefore, the nutritional status of mothers may affect the nutritional outcome of their neonates.