[Retinol levels in human colostrum: influence of child, maternal and socioeconomic variables].

OBJECTIVES To determine colostrum retinol levels in breastfeeding women from the city of Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and to investigate the relationship between retinol levels in colostrum and child, maternal and socioeconomic variables. METHODS Forty-two healthy women aged 18 to 39 years were evaluated 48 hours after delivery. Socioeconomic, anthropometric, and dietary data were collected by means of a questionnaire. Body mass index was used to determine nutritional status. The Virtual Nutri software was used to analyze data on daily intake of vitamin A. Retinol levels were determined in 2 ml of colostrum using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS Most women were of low socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. Vitamin A intake was adequate in 55% of the women (mean intake = 1,398.8 micro g RE/day). The mean amount of retinol in colostrum was 93.1 51.1 micro gRE/100 ml. No significant differences were found in terms of milk retinol levels for the variables income (p = 0.503), educational level (p = 0.708) and birth weight (p = 0. 499). However, a statistically significant difference was observed for nutritional status during pregnancy (0.016). CONCLUSION The lack of influence of socioeconomic factors on colostrum retinol levels suggests the existence of an adaptive mechanism of the mammary gland to maintain adequate retinol levels that meet the infantacute;s daily needs.