Abstract

PITA RODRIGUEZ, Gisela et al. Factors that influence vitamin E and C deficiencies in pregnant women and newborn infants. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2004, vol.30, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3127.

Toxic habits like smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy increase the production of reactive oxygen species that may cause the occurrence and development of blood hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus. The nutritional status of the mother is determining in the vitamin status of the newborn, and serum vitamin E and C deficiencies may have an effect on the poor response to oxidative stress that occurs in delivery and further recovery of the infant. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of various factors on the levels of serum vitamin E and C in pregnant women and how this might affect the newborn. To this end, a cross-sectional study of 203 cases was performed during a year. An epidemiology survey was made, which evaluated nutritional indicators, frequency of referred anemia episodes, smoking, alcohol consumption, blood hypertension, diabetes mellitus, pathological conditions developed and problems faced during pregnancy, birth weight and disturbances in the newborn´s evolution. A variable was established in which alpha tocopherol and ascorbate acid concentrations in the newborn were divided into those values of the mother for the same substances, and also the mean levels of vitamin E and C in the infant in relation to those of the mother were evaluated. The association measures of the studied factors and of vitamin E and C deficiencies were Relative Risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval. Linear regression equation was adjusted to assess the effect of factors that may influence the vitamin E concentration in the newborn. It was concluded that no significant association was found between the studied factors and the antioxidant vitamin deficiencies. There was only a slight significant association with effects on the normal development of pregnancy and poor vitamin C concentrations in the pregnant woman. The analysis of quotient resulting from the division of alpha tocopherol and ascorbate acid concentration values in the newborn into those of the mother showed that most of cases were within the expected values and that quotient variation depended on the mother´s concentration values. The linear regression analysis of possible factors that may affect vitamin E concentrations of the newborns, only vitamin E concentrations of the mother and weight gain during pregnancy were really significant

Keywords : vitamin deficiencies; pregnancy; newborn, vitamin C; vitamin E.