Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T19:13:17.440Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Lipid-soluble antioxidants status and some of its socio-economic determinants among pregnant Ethiopians at the third trimester

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Yared Wondmikun
Yared Wondmikun*
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, Gondar College of Medical Sciences, University of Gondar, PO Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected] or [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective

To determine the serum levels of three lipid-soluble antioxidants (retinol, β-carotene and α-tocopherol) in pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic (ANC) in Gondar, Ethiopia.

Design

A cross-sectional study involving laboratory determination of serum levels of retinol, α-tocopherol and β-carotene using high-performance liquid chromatography and questionnaire-based assessment of socio-economic status.

Setting

ANC of a university teaching hospital.

Subjects

Three hundred and twenty-two healthy pregnant women in their third trimester, who attended the ANC.

Results

Mean serum levels of retinol, α-tocopherol and β-carotene were found to be 1.23±0.5, 25.5±0.9 and 0.21±0.09 μmol l−1, respectively. The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (<1.05 μmol l−1) among pregnant women was 38.5%. Women having low retinol (vitamin A) levels were highly likely to live in earth-floored and mud-walled houses, and less likely to own a house and to have a latrine.

Conclusion

The study shows that serum levels of lipid-soluble antioxidants were low among ANC attendees in northern Ethiopia. It also indicates that some socio-economic factors (such as poor housing standard) are associated with vitamin A deficiency.

Keywords

Plasma retinolPlasma α-tocopherolPlasma β-carotenePregnant womenLipid antioxidantsMaternal nutrition
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 8 , Issue 6 , September 2005 , pp. 582 - 587
Copyright
Copyright © The Author 2005

References

1Christian, P, West, KP, Khatry, SK, Katz, J, Shrestha, SR, Pradhan, EK, et al. Night blindness of pregnancy in rural Nepal – nutritional and health risks. International Journal of Epidemiology 1998; 27:231–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Lonnerdal, BO. Effect of maternal dietary intake on human milk composition. Journal of Nutrition 1986; 116 499–513.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Chappell, LC, Seed, PT, Briley, AL, Kelly, FJ, Lee, R, Hunt, BJ, et al. Effect of antioxidants on the occurrence of pre-eclampsia in women at increased risk: a randomized trial. Lancet 1999; 354: 810–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Mikhail, MS, Anyaegbunam, A, Garfinkel, D, Palan, PR, Basu, J, Romney, SL. Pre-eclampsia and antioxidant nutrients: decreased plasma levels of reduced ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, and β-carotene in women with pre-eclampsia. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1994; 171: 150–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5Barrett, BM, Sowell, A, Gunter, E, Wang, M. Potential role of ascorbic acid and β-carotene in the prevention of preterm rupture of fetal membranes. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 1994; 64: 192–5.Google ScholarPubMed
6Sharma, SC, Bonnar, J, Dostalova, L. Comparison of blood levels of vitamin A, β-carotene and vitamin E in abruptio placentae with normal pregnancy. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 1986; 56: 3–9.Google ScholarPubMed
7Lachili, B, Faure, H, Smail, A, Zama, N, Benlatreche, C, Favier, A, et al. Plasma vitamin A, E, and β-carotene levels in adult post-partum Algerian women. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 1999; 69: 239–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Ziari, SA, Mireles, VL, Cantu, CG, Cervantes, M 3rd, Idrisa, A, Bobsom, D, et al. Serum vitamin A, vitamin E, and β-carotene levels in preeclamptic women in northern Nigeria. American Journal of Perinatology 1996; 13: 287–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Mulokozi, G, Lietz, G, Svanberg, U, Mugyabuso, JK, Henery, JCK, Tomkins, AM. Plasma levels of retinol, carotenoids, and tocopherols in relation to dietary pattern among pregnant Tanzanian women. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 2003; 75: 323–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Wondmikun, Y. Dark adaptation pattern of pregnant women as an indicator of functional disturbances at acceptable serum vitamin A levels. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002; 56: 462–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11Haskel, M, Brown, K. Maternal vitamin A nutriture and the vitamin A content of human milk. Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia 1999; 4: 243–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12World Health Organization (WHO). Indicators for Assessing Vitamin A Deficiency and Their Application in Monitoring and evaluating Intervention Programmes. WHO/NUT/96.10. Geneva: WHO, 1996.Google Scholar
13Morissey, PA, Sheehy, PJ. Optimal nutrition: vitamin E. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 1999; 58: 459–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Lockitch, G, ed. Handbook of Diagnostic Biochemistry and Hematology in Normal Pregnancy. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1992.Google Scholar
15Basu, TK, Wein, EE, Gangopadhyay, KV. Plasma vitamin A (retinol) and retinol-binding protein in newborns and their mothers. Nutrition Research 1994; 14: 1297–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Ortega, RM, Andres, P, Martinez, RMLopez-Sobaler, AMVitamin A status during the third trimester of pregnancy in Spanish women: influence on concentrations of vitamin A in breast milk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1997; 66: 564–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Butte, N, Calloway, DVan Duzen, J. Nutritional assessment of pregnant and lactating Navajo women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1981; 34: 2216–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Ackurt, F, Weitherlit, H, Loker, M, Hacibekiroglu, M. Biochemical assessment of nutritional status in pre- and post-natal Turkish women and outcome of pregnancy. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1995; 49: 613–22.Google ScholarPubMed
19Lan, Y, Kumwenda, N, Taha, TE, Chiphangwi, JD, Miotti, PG, Mtimavalye, L, et al. Carotenoid status of pregnant women with and without HIV infection in Malawi. East African Medical Journal 1999; 76: 133–7.Google ScholarPubMed
20Fuchs, G, Ausayakhun, S, Ruckphaopunt, S, Tansuhai, A. Relationship between vitamin A deficiency, malnutrition and conjunctival impression cytology. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1994; 60: 293–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21De Sole, G, Belay, Y, Zegeye, B. Vitamin A deficiency in southern Ethiopia. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1987; 45: 780–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Campbell, DR, Gross, MD, Martini, MC, Grandits, GA, Slavin, JL, Potter, JD. Plasma carotenoids as biomarkers of vegetable and fruits intake. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 1994; 3: 493–500.Google Scholar
23Brown, ED, Micozzi, MS, Craft, NE, Bieri, JG, Beecher, G, Edwards, BK, et al. Plasma carotenoids in normal men after single ingestion of vegetables or purified β-carotene. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1989; 49: 1258–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24Gouado, I, Mbiapo, TF, Moundipa, FP, Teugwa, MC. Vitamin A and E status of some rural population in the north of Cameroon. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 1998; 68: 21–5.Google Scholar
25Hussain, A, Kvale, G, Ali, K, Bhuyan, AH. Determinants of night blindness in Bangladesh. International Journal of Epidemiology 1993; 22: 1119–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26Katz, J, Khatry, S, West, K, Humphrey, J, Leclerq, S, Kimbrough, E et al. Night blindness is prevalent during pregnancy in rural Nepal. Journal of Nutrition 1995; 125: 2122–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27Gebre-Medhin, M, Vahlquist, A, Hofvander, Y, Uppsall, L, Vahlquist, B. Breast milk composition in Ethiopian and Swedish mothers. I. Vitamin A and β-carotene. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1976; 29: 441–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28Cikot, RJSteegers-Theunissen, RP, Thomas, CM, Boo, TM, Merkus, HM, Steegers, EA. Longitudinal vitamin and homocysteine levels in normal pregnancy. British Journal of Nutrition 2001; 85: 49–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29Wang, YP, Walsh, SW, Guo, GD, Zhang, JY. Maternal level of prostacyclin, thromboxane, vitamin E, and lipid peroxides throughout normal pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1991; 165: 1690–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Semba, RD, Miotti, PG, Chiphangwi, JD, Saah, AJ, Canner, JK, Dallabetta, GA et al. Maternal vitamin A deficiency and mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1. Lancet 1994; 343: 1593–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31Von Mandach, U, Huch, R, Huch, A. Maternal and cord serum vitamin E levels in normal and abnormal pregnancy. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 1994; 64: 26–32.Google ScholarPubMed