Postnatal changes in maternal and neonatal plasma antioxidant vitamins and the influence of smoking

Objective: To study the postnatal changes in the plasma concentrations of fat soluble antioxidnt vitamins and malondaldeyde (MDA) in mothers and their newborns and their relation to smoking. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary perinatal centre. Subjects: Eighteen non-smoking and 14 smoking mothers and 33 infants. Main outcome measures: Plasma concentrations of vitamins E, A, and beta-carotene and MDA were measured in mothers and infants at delivery and on day 4 post partum. Results: Neonatal plasma levels of vitamins E, A, and beta-carotene were significantly lower than maternal levels both at delivery and on day 4 in both groups. There was a significant postnatal increase in See end of article for plasma vitamin E levels in smoking mothers and neonates of both groups. A significant postnatal authors' affiliations increase in maternal, but not neonatal, plasma vitamin A was noted in both groups. Cord plasma vitamin E levels were significantly lower in infants of smoking mothers (mean 4.7 v 6.5 mumol/l, p = 0.04 1). Plasma MDA was paradoxically lower in smoking mothers at delivery (3.19 v 4.01 mumol/l, p = 0.03) Correspondence to: and on day 4 (1.37 v 3.29 mumol/l, p = 0.005) and in infants of the smoking group on day 4 (2.18 v 3.12 mumol/l, p = 0.014). Also, there was a significant postnatal fall in plasma MDA levels on day 4 in mothers and infants in the smoking group. Australia; Conclusions: The postnatal changes in plasma vitamin E were more pronounced in the smoking The postnatal changes in plasma vitamins A and P-carotene were similar in both groups. The Accepted 15 August 2001 rapid decline in plasma MDA in smoking mothers and their infants suggests withdrawal of oxidative stress from smoking around delivery. This coincided with the increase in plasma vitamin E.