Original Communication
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, 960–968. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602201; published online 15 June 2005
Effect of vitamin supplementation to HIV-infected pregnant women on the micronutrient status of their infants
Guarantor: A Baylin.
Contributors: AB analyzed and interpreted the data and wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. WWF and GM are principal investigators of the Tanzania Vitamin Supplementation Trial and contributed to the study design and its implementation. NR was responsible for the serum measurements. EV provided statistical guidance in data analyses and assisted in data interpretation. All coauthors participated in manuscript preparation.
A Baylin1, E Villamor1, N Rifai2, G Msamanga3 and W W Fawzi1,4
- 1Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- 3Department of Community Health, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- 4Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Correspondence: A Baylin, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 2, Boston, MA 02115, USA. E-mail: abaylin@hsph.harvard.edu
Received 13 July 2004; Revised 29 December 2004; Accepted 13 May 2005; Published online 15 June 2005.
Abstract
Objective:
We examined whether supplementation with vitamin A and/or vitamins B, C, and E to HIV-infected women during pregnancy and lactation is related to increased concentrations of vitamins A, B12, and E in their infants during the first 6 months of life.
Design:
We carried out a randomized clinical trial among 716 mother–infant pairs in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Women were randomly allocated to receive a daily oral dose of one of four regimens: vitamin A, multivitamins (B, C, and E), multivitamins including A, or placebo. Supplementation started at first prenatal visit and continued after delivery throughout the breastfeeding period. The serum concentration of vitamins A, E and B12 was measured in infants at 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum.
Results:
Maternal vitamin A supplementation increased serum retinol in the infants at 6 weeks (mean difference=0.09 
mol/l, P<0.0001) and 6 months (mean difference=0.06 mol/l, P=0.0002), and decreased the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, but had no impact on serum vitamins E or B12. Multivitamins increased serum vitamin B12 at 6 weeks and 6 months (mean differences=176 pmol/l, P<0.0001 and 127 pmol/l, P<0.0001, respectively) and vitamin E (mean differences=1.8 mol/l, P=0.0008 and 1.1 mol/l, P=0.004, respectively) and decreased the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Conclusions:
Vitamin supplementation to HIV-1-infected women is effective in improving the vitamin status of infants during the first 6 months of age.
Keywords:
vitamin A, multivitamins, serum vitamins, infants, HIV infection
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