| Abstract: | OBJECTIVES: The contribution and exact role of exogenous factors, such as medications and drugs during pregnancy, maternal nutrition, in the etiology of orofacial clefts is not established. Vitamin A is essential for embryogenesis, both the lack and excess of retinol result in congenital malformations. DESIGN: This study was aimed to establish vitamin A status in Polish mothers of children with isolated orofacial clefts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 34 mothers of children with isolated cleft lip (CL), 83 mothers of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP), 42 mothers of children with isolated cleft palate (CP) were studied. The control group consisted of 67 women who gave birth to healthy children. All participants were healthy women without symptoms of malabsorption. Plasma retinol levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: There were no differences in mean plasma vitamin A levels between CL--2.09 +/- 0.61 mumol/l, CLP--2.21 +/- 0.52 mumol/l, CP--2.15 +/- 0.62 mumol/l and control--2.08 +/- 0.52 mumol/l. None of participants had vitamin A deficiency (concentration of retinol < 0.8 mumol/l). Among women, who were not supplemented with retinol containing vitamins during 3 months prior the study, 10.6% of mothers of children with orofacial clefts (n = 132) and only 5.8% of controls (n = 52) had levels of retinol above upper norm for women of childbearing age (N < 2.8 mumol/l). CONCLUSION: Periconceptional multivitamin supplementation has been reported to decrease the risk of orofacial clefts in offspring, but high intake of preformed vitamin A (retinol) might be undesirable. |
