Use of Population-Based Compartmental Modeling and Retinol Isotope Dilution to Study Vitamin A Kinetics and Total Body Stores among Ghanaian Women of Reproductive Age.

Background: Limited data are available on vitamin A kinetics and total body stores (TBS) in women. Such information can be obtained using compartmental modeling and retinol isotope dilution (RID).

Objectives: Objectives were to apply population-based ("super-subject") modeling to determine retinol kinetics in nonpregnant Ghanaian women of reproductive age and to use RID to predict TBS in the group and its individuals.

Pre- and Postnatal Vitamin A Deficiency Impairs Motor Skills without a Consistent Effect on Trace Mineral Status in Young Mice.

Pregnant women and children are vulnerable to vitamin A deficiency (VAD), which is often compounded by concurrent deficiencies in other micronutrients, particularly iron and zinc, in developing countries. The study investigated the effects of early-life VAD on motor and cognitive development and trace mineral status in a mouse model. C57BL/6J dams were fed either a vitamin A-adequate (VR) or -deficient (VD) diet across two consecutive gestations and lactations.

Effect of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon on micronutrient status among women and children in the Northern Region of Ghana: Protocol for the Condiment Micronutrient Innovation Trial (CoMIT), a community-based randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in West Africa, particularly among women of reproductive age (WRA) and young children. Bouillon is a promising food fortification vehicle due to its widespread consumption. This study aims to evaluate the impact of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cubes, compared to control bouillon cubes (fortified with iodine only), on micronutrient status and hemoglobin concentrations among lactating and non-lactating WRA and young children in northern Ghana.

Acceptability of Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Bouillon Cubes among Women and Their Households in 2 Districts in The Northern Region of Ghana.

Background: Bouillon is a promising large-scale food fortification vehicle, but there is uncertainty regarding the types and concentrations of micronutrients that are feasible to add without compromising consumer acceptability.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of 2 different multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cube formulations, compared with a bouillon cube fortified with iodine only.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled acceptability study in 2 districts in northern Ghana.

The Effects of One Egg Per Day on Vitamin A Status Among Young Malawian Children: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is common in populations with limited dietary diversity and access to vitamin A-rich foods.

Objectives: This analysis aimed to determine the impact of supplementing children's diets with 1 egg/d on the concentration of plasma retinol and RBP and the prevalence of VAD.

Methods: Children age 6-9 mo living in the Mangochi district of Malawi were individually randomly assigned to receive 1 egg/d for 6 mo ( = 331) or continue their usual diet ( = 329) in the Mazira trial (clinicaltrials.

Comparing two simplified questionnaire-based methods with 24-h recalls for estimating fortifiable wheat flour and oil consumption in Mandaluyong City, Philippines.

Information on fortifiable food consumption is essential to design, monitor and evaluate fortification programmes, yet detailed methods like 24-h recalls (24HRs) that provide such data are rarely conducted. Simplified questionnaire-based methods exist but their validity compared with 24HRs has not been shown. We compared two simplified methods (i.

Filipino Children with High Usual Vitamin A Intakes and Exposure to Multiple Sources of Vitamin A Have Elevated Total Body Stores of Vitamin A But Do Not Show Clear Evidence of Vitamin A Toxicity.

Background: Young children exposed to high-dose vitamin A supplements (VAS) and vitamin A (VA)-fortified foods may be at risk of high VA intake and high VA total body stores (TBS).

Objectives: TBS and estimated liver VA concentration were compared among children with adequate or high VA intake and different timing of exposure to VAS, and associations between estimated liver VA concentrations and biomarkers of VA toxicity were examined.

Methods: Children 12-18 mo of age ( = 123) were selected for 3 groups: ) retinol intake >600 µg/d and VAS within the past mo, ) retinol intake >600 µg/d and VAS in the past 3-6 mo, and ) VA intake 200-500 µg retinol activity equivalents (RAE)/d and VAS in the past 3-6 mo.

Multiassay nutritional metabolomics profiling of low vitamin A status versus adequacy is characterized by reduced plasma lipid mediators among lactating women in the Philippines: A pilot study.

Low vitamin A (VA) status is common among lactating women in low-income countries. Lactation has substantial effects on mother's metabolism and VA is required in multiple biological processes, including growth, vision, immunity, and reproduction. The objective of this pilot study was to use metabolomics profiling to conduct a broad, exploratory assessment of differences in plasma metabolites associated with low VA status versus VA adequacy in lactating women.

Provision of Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Increases Plasma Selenium Concentration in Pregnant Women in Malawi: A Secondary Outcome of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Pregnant women in Malawi are at risk of selenium deficiency, which can have adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes. Interventions for improving selenium status are needed.

Objectives: To assess the effect of provision of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNSs) to Malawian women during pregnancy on their plasma selenium concentrations at 36 wk of gestation.

Influence of Vitamin A Status on the Choice of Sampling Time for Application of the Retinol Isotope Dilution Method in Theoretical Children.

Background: Vitamin A status may influence the choice of a blood sampling time for applying the retinol isotope dilution (RID) equation to predict vitamin A total body stores (TBS) in children.

Objectives: We aimed to identify time(s) after administration of labeled vitamin A that provide accurate estimates of TBS in theoretical children with low or high TBS.

Methods: We postulated 2- to 5-y-old children (12/group) with low (<200 μmol) or high TBS (≥700 μmol) and used compartmental analysis to simulate individual subject values for the RID equation TBS =   FaS/SAp (Fa, fraction of dose in stores; S, retinol specific activity in plasma/in stores; SAp, retinol specific activity in plasma).

Evaluation of Saccharin and Resveratrol as Extrinsic Markers of Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplement Consumption in Healthy Women.

Background: Dietary supplements, like small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS), are used in intervention programs to prevent undernutrition among women and young children in low-income countries. An objective marker is needed to track consumption of supplements to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate saccharin and resveratrol as potential adherence markers for tracking recent consumption of a single serving of SQ-LNS in women.

Determination of Vitamin A Total Body Stores in Children from Dried Serum Spots: Application in a Low- and Middle-Income Country Community Setting.

Background: The retinol isotope dilution (RID) method has been used to evaluate vitamin A (VA) status in healthy adults and children in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and to assess the efficacy of various VA interventions.

Objective: The study was designed to examine whether dried serum spots (DSS) can be applied to RID when conducting VA total body store (TBS) assessments in community settings.

Methods: Four days after an oral dose of 0.

Biofortified and fortified maize consumption reduces prevalence of low milk retinol, but does not increase vitamin A stores of breastfeeding Zambian infants with adequate reserves: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Replacement of conventional staples with biofortified or industrially fortified staples in household diets may increase maternal breast milk retinol content and vitamin A intakes from complementary foods, improving infant total body stores (TBS) of vitamin A.

Objectives: To determine whether biofortified or industrially fortified maize consumption by Zambian women and their breastfeeding infants could improve milk retinol concentration and infant TBS.

Methods: We randomly assigned 255 lactating women and their 9-mo-old infants to a 90-d intervention providing 0 µg retinol equivalents (RE)/d as conventional maize or ∼315 µg RE/d to mothers and ∼55 µg RE/d to infants as provitamin A carotenoid-biofortified maize or retinyl palmitate-fortified maize.

Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Do Not Affect Plasma or Milk Retinol Concentrations Among Malawian Mothers, or Plasma Retinol Concentrations among Young Malawian or Ghanaian Children in Two Randomized Trials.

Background: Vitamin A (VA) deficiency is prevalent in preschool-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objectives: We assessed the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) given to women during pregnancy and lactation and their children from 6 to 18 mo of age on women's plasma and milk retinol concentrations in Malawi, and children's plasma retinol concentration in Malawi and Ghana.

Methods: Pregnant women (≤20 wk of gestation) were randomized to receive daily: 1) iron and folic acid (IFA) during pregnancy only; 2) multiple micronutrients (MMN; 800 μg retinol equivalent (RE)/capsule), or 3) SQ-LNS (800 μg RE/20g) during pregnancy and the first 6 mo postpartum.

Measurement of Saccharin and -Resveratrol Metabolites in Urine as Adherence Markers for Small Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplement Consumption.

Saccharin and -resveratrol were incorporated into small quantity lipid-based nutritional supplements (SQ-LNS) to be evaluated as the markers of consumption for nutritional intervention studies. Forty-seven healthy women consumed a single supplement with either 8.6 mg of saccharin or 5 mg of -resveratrol, and urine was collected for 4 h.

Use of Model-Based Compartmental Analysis and a Super-Child Design to Study Whole-Body Retinol Kinetics and Vitamin A Total Body Stores in Children from 3 Lower-Income Countries.

Background: Model-based compartmental analysis has been used to describe and quantify whole-body vitamin A metabolism and estimate total body stores (TBS) in animals and humans.

Objectives: We applied compartmental modeling and a super-child design to estimate retinol kinetic parameters and TBS for young children in Bangladesh, Guatemala, and the Philippines.

Methods: Children ingested [13C10]retinyl acetate and 1 or 2 blood samples were collected from each child from 6 h to 28 d after dosing.

Combined consumption of a single high-dose vitamin A supplement with provision of vitamin A fortified oil to households maintains adequate milk retinol concentrations for 6 months in lactating Moroccan women.

In Morocco, postpartum women systematically receive a single, high dose of vitamin A (VA; 200 000 IU) within the first month of giving birth and vegetable oil is fortified to increase the VA intake. The efficacy of this combined approach of supplementation and fortification for increasing maternal VA status during lactation is not known. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of postpartum high dose VA supplementation and provision of VA fortified oil for household consumption on plasma and milk retinol concentrations of lactating Moroccan women during the first 6 months after giving birth.

Association between breast milk intake at 9-10 months of age and growth and development among Malawian young children.

World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for infants for the first 6 months of life, followed by introduction of nutritious complementary foods alongside breastfeeding. Breast milk remains a significant source of nourishment in the second half of infancy and beyond; however, it is not clear whether more breast milk is always better. The present study was designed to determine the association between amount of breast milk intake at 9-10 months of age and infant growth and development by 12-18 months of age.

Associations of maternal nutrition during pregnancy and post-partum with maternal cognition and caregiving.

Pregnant and post-partum women require increased nutrient intake and optimal cognition, which depends on adequate nutrition, to enable reasoning and learning for caregiving. We aimed to assess (a) differences in maternal cognition and caregiving between women in Malawi who received different nutritional supplements, (b) 14 effect modifiers, and (c) associations of cognition and caregiving with biomarkers of iron, Vitamin A, B-vitamin, and fatty acid status. In a randomized controlled trial (n = 869), pregnant women daily received either multiple micronutrients (MMN), 20 g/day lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS), or a control iron/folic acid (IFA) tablet.

Estimating Lives Saved by Achieving Dietary Micronutrient Adequacy, with a Focus on Vitamin A Intervention Programs in Cameroon.

We previously compared the potential effects of different intervention strategies for achieving dietary vitamin A (VA) adequacy. The Lives Saved Tool (LiST) permits estimates of lives saved through VA interventions but currently only considers periodic VA supplements (VASs). We aimed to adapt the LiST method for estimating the mortality impact of VASs to estimate the impact of other VA interventions (e.

Vitamin A Status of Women and Children in Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon, is Unchanged One Year after Initiation of a National Vitamin A Oil Fortification Program.

Vitamin A (VA) fortification of cooking oil is considered a cost-effective strategy for increasing VA status, but few large-scale programs have been evaluated. We conducted representative surveys in Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon, 2 years before and 1 year after the introduction of a mandatory national program to fortify cooking oil with VA. In each survey, 10 different households were selected within each of the same 30 clusters ( = ~300).

Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND)-Vitamin A Review.

The Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND) project is designed to provide evidence-informed advice to anyone with an interest in the role of nutrition in health. The BOND program provides information with regard to selection, use, and interpretation of biomarkers of nutrient exposure, status, function, and effect, which will be especially useful for readers who want to assess nutrient status. To accomplish this objective, expert panels are recruited to evaluate the literature and to draft comprehensive reports on the current state of the art with regard to specific nutrient biology and available biomarkers for assessing nutritional status at the individual and population levels.

Short-Term Daily Consumption of Provitamin A Carotenoid-Biofortified Maize Has Limited Impact on Breast Milk Retinol Concentrations in Zambian Women Enrolled in a Randomized Controlled Feeding Trial.

Background: Provitamin A carotenoid-biofortified maize is a conventionally bred staple crop designed to help prevent vitamin A deficiency. Lactating women are a potential target group, because regularly eating biofortified maize may increase vitamin A in breast milk-a critical source of vitamin A for breastfeeding infants.

Objective: We assessed whether daily consumption of biofortified orange maize would increase the retinol concentration in the breast milk of Zambian women.

Safety and Mortality Benefits of Delivering Vitamin A Supplementation at 6 Months of Age in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) among children 6 to 59 months of age reduces vitamin A deficiency (VAD)-related mortality. Child health days (CHDs) only reach an estimated 16.7% of children at exactly 6 months, leaving uncovered children at risk of VAD-related mortality; similarly, VAS provided at 9 months of age with measles-containing vaccine leaves infants unprotected for 3 months.