The objective of this study is to assess the effects of pure β-carotene supplementation in the lactating mothers on serum β-carotene and retinol levels of their breast-fed infants. Data for this study is taken from a nutritional intervention trial conducted in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Forty five healthy, lactating mothers and their infants participated. During the intervention trial, all of the mothers took 30 mg of pure β-carotene capsules with their morning meal for three alternate days (a total of 90 mg) in the week-long trial. The mothers provided 10 milliliter of breast milk per sampling and 5 milliliter of blood per draw. Two milliliter of blood was collected from each infants during the trial. β-Carotene and retinol concentrations were quantitated in the breast milk and in the serum samples using high-performance-liquid-chromatography (HPLC). Results of the t-test confirmed that the supplementation of β-carotene to the lactating mothers has a significant effect on their breast-fed infants' serum retinol concentrations. This is reflected in the increased levels (by a ∼10 fold) of infants' serum retinol concentrations. It is also observed that there is a statistically significant increase of the β-carotene levels in the maternal breast milk and serum samples due to this β-carotene supplementation. A similar increase of retinol levels in the maternal blood samples is observed. In addition, a modest correlation between the retinol concentrations of post-supplemented maternal breast milk and the post-supplemented serum of infants, equal to or less than four months of age, is also observed. This dose-response relationship suggests that a regular supplementation of β-carotene to the lactating mothers might help their breast-fed children in harnessing the long term beneficial effects of vitamin A. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/291740 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Mahal, Zeenat, 1964- |
| Contributors | Petersen, Eskild A. |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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