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

Although vitamin A is thought to influence growth, the relationship between maternal vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy and child growth is unknown. A longitudinal cohort study of 467 HIV-infected women and their children was conducted in Blantyre, Malawi. The children's weight and height were measured every 3 months until they were 24 months old. Maternal vitamin A deficiency was independently related to both linear and ponderal growth after adjustment for effects of body mass index, child gender, and child HIV status. By 12 months of age, infants born to mothers who were vitamin A deficient during pregnancy weighed ~8% less (p < 0.001) and were ~2% shorter (p < 0.001) than infants born to mothers who were not deficient. This study suggests children born to HIV-infected women who are vitamin A- deficient during pregnancy are more likely to have growth failure.