Association between gestational night blindness and serum retinol in mother/newborn pairs in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 456 - 461
• Main Authors: Saunders, Cláudia, Ramalho, Rejane Andréa, Pereira Thiapó de Lima, Ana Paula, Martins Gomes, Mirian, Ferreira Campos, Luciana, Amaral dos Santos Silva, Bianca, Gonçalves Soares, Alexandre, do Carmo Leal, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.04.2005; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; blood serum; Brazil - epidemiology; Chi-Square Distribution; Children & youth; Comorbidity; Dietary supplements; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fetal Blood; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gestational age; health status; Humans; Indicators; infant nutrition; Infant, Newborn; Interviews as Topic; maternal nutrition; neonates; Newborn; Night blindness; Night Blindness - blood; Night Blindness - epidemiology; Nutritional status; Nutritional Status - physiology; postpartum period; Postpartum Period - blood; Postpartum women; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - blood; Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Serum retinol; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin A; Vitamin A - blood; Vitamin A deficiency; Vitamin A Deficiency - epidemiology; vitamin deficiencies; Womens health; Brazil; South America; America; Rio de Janeiro Brazil; Pregnancy; Newborn; Postpartum women; Night blindness; Vitamin A deficiency; Serum retinol; Indicators; Human; Vision disorder; Vitamin; Retinol; Eye disease; Vertebrata; Association; Mammalia; Mother; Serum
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2004.07.015

Gestational night blindness (XN) is associated with increased risk of reproductive morbidity and mortality. This study investigated the prevalence of gestational XN among postpartum women treated in a public maternity hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and evaluated its association with maternal and neonatal (cord blood) serum retinol concentrations. XN was evaluated retrospectively, using an interview according to guidelines of the World Health Organization, in 222 postpartum women (≤6 h after delivery) after singleton births who had low obstetric risk. Serum retinol concentrations were measured according to the modified Bessey method, with a cutoff point lower than 1.05 μmol/L for inadequate serum retinol concentration. Prevalence of gestational XN was 18%, and inadequate maternal and cord blood serum retinol concentrations were found in 24.4% and 45.5% of samples, respectively. The results associated gestational XN with inadequate maternal serum retinol concentration ( P = 0.000), and an association was observed between maternal and neonatal serum retinol concentrations ( P = 0.000). A poor association was observed between maternal XN and serum levels of retinol in newborn children ( P = 0.06). The results suggest that prevalence of gestational XN and inadequate serum retinol concentration among postpartum women and newborns is a concern, calling attention to the need for studies in other parts of Brazil. In addition, the risk of inadequate serum retinol in newborns was significantly higher among infants of postpartum women with serum retinol levels below 1.05 μmol/L. Gestational XN was associated with inadequate levels of maternal serum retinol, and the results suggest a poor relation between maternal XN and vitamin A nutritional status of newborns.