Showing papers by "Alfred Sommer published in 2010"

Maternal Vitamin A Supplementation and Lung Function in Offspring

Abstract: Background Vitamin A is important in regulating early lung development and alveolar formation. Maternal vitamin A status may be an important determinant of embryonic alveolar formation, and vitamin A deficiency in a mother during pregnancy could have lasting adverse effects on the lung health of her offspring. We tested this hypothesis by examining the long-term effects of supplementation with vitamin A or beta carotene in women before, during, and after pregnancy on the lung function of their offspring, in a population with chronic vitamin A deficiency. Methods We examined a cohort of rural Nepali children 9 to 13 years of age whose mothers had participated in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, cluster-randomized trial of vitamin A or beta-carotene supplementation between 1994 and 1997. Results Of 1894 children who were alive at the end of the original trial, 1658 (88%) were eligible to participate in the follow-up trial. We performed spirometry in 1371 of the children (83% of those eligible) between Oc...

Maternal Vitamin A Supplementation and Lung Function in Offspring

Abstract: A large number of animal studies and human observational studies suggest a positive relationship between vitamin A status and lung function. Depletion of vitamin A from the diet of pregnant female rats is associated with abnormalities in lung development of offspring, an effect that can be prevented by supplementation with vitamin A in early, but not late, pregnancy. These and other animal studies data indicate that vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy may have adverse effects on embryonic alveolar formation, and thereby on the lung health of progeny. There are little data from human populations on the long-term consequences of vitamin A deficiency on lung health. This observational study tested the hypothesis that long-term supplementation with vitamin A or beta-carotene before, during, and after pregnancy in a population of women with chronic vitamin A deficiency has a protective effect on lung function of their offspring. The study population was a cohort of rural Nepali children aged 9 to 13 years whose mothers had participated in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, cluster-randomized trial between 1994 and 1997 that investigated the effects of weekly supplementation with vitamin A or beta-carotene on pregnancy-related maternal death rates. At the end of the original trial, 1894 children were alive. Of the 1658 (88%) alive and living in the study area at the time of this study (2006-2008), 1371 underwent spirometry to test lung function. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured. Adjustments were made for possible confounders (height, age, gender, body mass index, calendar month, caste, and specific spirometer used). The adjusted FEV 1 and FVC were significantly higher among the children whose mothers had received vitamin A compared with those children whose mothers had received placebo; the average increase in FEV, was 46 mL (95% confidence interval, 6-86; P = 0.03) and the average increase in FVC was also 46 mL (95% confidence interval, 8-84; P = 0.02). In contrast, no significant differences in the adjusted FEV 1 (P = 0.47) and FVC (P = 0.36) values were found among children whose mothers had received beta-carotene and those whose mothers had received placebo. These findings show that in a population with chronic vitamin A deficiency, maternal supplementation with vitamin A at recommended dietary levels before, during, and after pregnancy improved lung function in offspring 9 to 13 years later.