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- Title
Vitamin A Concentration in Umbilical Cord Blood of Infants from Three Separate Regions of the Province of Québec (Canada).
- Authors
Dallaire, Frédéric; Dewailly, Eric; Shademani, Ramesh; Laliberté, Claire; Bruneau, Suzanne; Rhainds, Marc; Blanchet, Carole; Lefebvre, Michel; Ayotte, Pierre
- Abstract
Background: Inuit women from Northern Quebec have been shown to consume inadequate quantities of vitamin A. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of blood vitamin A deficiency in newborns from 3 distinct populations of the province of Quebec. Methods: 594 newborns were included in this study (375 Inuit newborns from northern Québec (Nunavik), 107 Caucasian and Native newborns from the Lower Northern Shore of the Saint-Lawrence River (LNS) and 112 newborns from Southern Quebec where clinical vitamin A deficiency is uncommon). Mothers were recruited at delivery and vitamin A (retinol) was analyzed from umbilical cord blood samples by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. Results: Nunavik and LNS newborns had significantly lower mean vitamin A concentrations in cord blood compared to Southern Québec participants (15.7 µg/dL, 16.8 µg/dL and 20.4 µg/dL respectively). The differences observed were similar when adjusted for sex and birthweight. Results also showed that 8.5% of Nunavik newborns and 12.2% of INS newborns were below 10.0 µg/dL, a level thought to be indicative of blood vitamin A deficiency in neonates. Conclusion: These data suggest that a carefully planned vitamin A supplementation program during pregnancy in Nunavik and LNS might be indicated to promote healthy infant development.
- Subjects
QUEBEC (Province); CANADA; VITAMIN A; CORD blood; INUIT women; NORD-du-Quebec (Quebec)
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Public Health, 2003, Vol 94, Issue 5, p386
- ISSN
0008-4263
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/bf03403568