Ascorbic acid levels in maternal and cord serum.

Man and primates have an inborn error in metabolism which renders them incapable of synthesizing ascorbic acid. Clemetson and Anderson reported premature deliveries to vitamin C deficient mothers(1). Vitamin C deficiency in the mother has also been associated with increased morbidity, mortality, still birth, premature and low birth weight(2). Paucity of studies on Indian women and neonates led us to conduct this study.