Background. Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) during pregnancy represents a major public health problem in developing countries. Anemia is a common consequence of VAD. We aimed to measure serum retinol concentrations of a sample of poor Egyptian mothers and correlate it with their Hb% and cord Hb%. Methods. This cross-sectional study included 200 healthy mothers and their healthy full term newborns. Maternal and cord blood samples were collected for CBC and measurement of serum retinol concentrations. Results. Forty-seven mothers (23.5%) had VAD and 50% were anemic. Mothers with VAD had a significantly lower mean Hb% and a significantly higher frequency of anemia (95.7%) compared to mothers without VAD (35.9%). The relative risk for anemia among mothers with VAD was 2.7 (CI = 2.12–3.3). Newborns of mothers with VAD had a significantly lower mean cord Hb% compared to newborns of mothers without VAD. Maternal serum retinol concentrations were positively correlated with maternal Hb% and cord Hb%. Conclusion. Maternal VAD during pregnancy among poor mothers is associated with maternal anemia and lower Hb% of newborns at birth. Vitamin A supplementation is highly recommended for this vulnerable group. 1. Introduction The requirements of vitamin A are increased during pregnancy. A daily intake of 800？μg retinol equivalents was recommended as a safe level of vitamin A for pregnant women [1]. According to WHO, 7.8% of pregnant women in Africa have night blindness and 15.3% have low serum retinol concentrations [2]. Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) during pregnancy is associated with increased maternal mortality [3] and increased infant mortality rates during the first year of life [4]. According to WHO, anemia globally affects 41.8% of pregnant women all over the world and 57.1% of pregnant women in Africa [5]. Maternal anemia during pregnancy increases the maternal mortality [6] and has many adverse effects on fetal outcome including small for gestational age, premature rupture of membranes, preterm delivery. Severe maternal anemia may be associated with stillbirth and neonatal deaths [7]. Vitamin A is known to play a role in hematopoiesis, and anemia is a common consequence of VAD [8]. Vitamin A supplementation during pregnancy was found to improve maternal Hb% [9]. The aim of the present study was to measure serum retinol concentrations of a cohort of poor Egyptian mothers and correlate it with their hemoglobin concentrations (Hb%) and cord Hb% of their respective newborns. 2. Subjects and Methods This cross-sectional study included 200 full term newborns and their
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