The effects of vitamin A on newborn health are largely unknown, but Pennsylvania State University nutritionists recently published two reports that may shed some light on the subject, according to Pannochka, an online publication for girls and women aged 14 to 35.. net After feeding newborn rat pups supplements with vitamin A, the researchers found that this vitamin is rapidly distributed throughout the body of animals, reaching significant concentrations not only in the liver, but also in other tissues.

In adult rodents, vitamin A supplementation generally results in substantial accumulation only in the liver..

Researchers know that vitamin A is very important for the development and growth of the fetus, as well as for children of any age.. But the role of vitamin A in the neonatal period remains a blind spot in science.. Before the birth of a child, the reserves of vitamin A, which were accumulated in the prenatal period, are practically depleted, and its adequate intake from the outside is necessary.. Therefore, in developing countries, young children are very often deficient in vitamin A..

“The World Health Organization recommends vitamin A supplementation for children who live in poor countries.. Giving high doses of vitamin A to children from 6 months to 5 years of age leads to a decrease in infant mortality by as much as 23%. However, there are no data on the use of vitamin A in infants younger than 6 months of age,” writes researcher Catharine Ross, professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University..

Dr. Ross and her colleagues studied the effect of vitamin A on rat pups up to 2 weeks of age, since during this period their bodies are very similar to those of children under 6 months of age.. Half of the rat pups received vitamin A, and the second group served as a control.

Scientists measured the metabolism of vitamin A in animals by comparing the concentration of metabolic products in different organs and tissues.. Retinol, which is the main form of vitamin A, was not broken down immediately, but was easily distributed throughout animal tissues.. When vitamin A is taken, the lungs, intestines, and other tissues have high levels of chylomicrons with retinol ester, another form of vitamin A that the body absorbs.. Such data are provided by Ross and her colleagues in the Journal of Lipid Research..

They say that the high ability of the newborn body to capture and assimilate the ingested vitamin A is an adaptive mechanism.. After all, a newborn has almost no reserves of this vitamin, and it is very important to fully assimilate everything that comes with food..

“This study gives us a basic understanding of how vitamin A metabolism occurs in humans.. By understanding the nutritional needs of newborns, we can develop better recommendations for preventing child deaths, especially in developing countries,” the scientists concluded..

Libo Tan, a graduate of the Department of Dietetics at the University of Pennsylvania, collaborated with Ross on this work.; Amanda Wray, Technological Researcher and Professor of Nutrition Michael H. Green.

medbe. en.