Maternal vitamin A deficiency and child growth failure during human immunodeficiency virus infection.

During November 1989-August 1991 in Malawi 567 HIV- infected mothers delivered at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre. Anthropometric data on the children of HIV- infected mothers who were vitamin-A deficient were compared with similar data on those whose HIV-infected mothers were not vitamin-A deficient to determine whether maternal vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy is related to child growth failure. Children born to vitamin-A deficient mothers had lower linear and ponderal growth than those born to non-vitamin-A deficient mothers (e.g. at 12 months about 0.7 kg less [8% lighter] and about 1 cm shorter [1-2% shorter]). Maternal vitamin A levels body mass index infant gender infant age and infant HIV status were significantly associated with both linear and ponderal growth. These findings indicate that maternal vitamin A deficiency in HIV-infected mothers has an independent negative effect on child growth. In sub-Saharan Africa and India on-going studies are examining the influence of maternal vitamin A supplementation on child growth and child survival.