Impact of vitamin A supplementation in low birth weight piglets similar to healthy weight piglets (645.17)

Abstract

Current vitamin A supplementation methods for infants in vitamin A‐deficient populations have no specific dosing recommendations regarding birth weight. A proposed intervention is to administer 50,000 IU retinyl palmitate to newborn infants to reduce mortality risk. To investigate birth weight effects, low birth weight (LBW) piglets (1.5 kg) from vitamin A‐depleted sows were dosed with either 25,000 or 50,000 IU retinyl palmitate at birth to compare liver vitamin A reserves and overall vitamin A status. Blood collection occurred at varying time points after dose and piglets were killed at 12 and 24 h for organ and serum collection. Serum, liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs, adrenals, and intestinal contents were collected and analyzed for vitamin A using HPLC methods. Both healthy weight and LBW piglets had significantly higher liver and kidney vitamin A concentrations than control piglets that received no dose (P = 0.0061 and <0.0001, respectively), but no significant differences between dose, weight, or time groups existed. However, total liver and kidney retinol was higher in healthy weight piglets (P < 0.0001). Vitamin A concentration in lung, spleen, and adrenal glands did not differ between any treated and control piglets. Serum retinol significantly increased with time for all treated piglets, regardless of birth weight (P = 0.005), but dose and weight had no effect on serum retinol concentration. In conclusion, healthy weight piglets stored more of the supplemental doses than LBW piglets. Grant Funding Source: Supported by the Nutrition Unit at the World Health Organization.