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. 2021 Oct;17(4):e13215.
doi: 10.1111/mcn.13215. Epub 2021 Jun 17.

Vitamin C levels in a Central-African mother-infant cohort: Does hypovitaminosis C increase the risk of enteric infections?

Violeta Moya-Alvarez  1   2 , Jean-Christophe Junior Koyembi  3 , Laure M Kayé  4 , Jean-Robert Mbecko  5 , Hugues Sanke-Waîgana  5 , Serge Ghislain Djorie  3 , Yawo Tufa Nyasenu  6 , Daniel Mad-Bondo  7 , Jean-Bertrand Kongoma  7 , Samir Nakib  8 , Yoann Madec  2 , Guillaume Ulmann  8 , Nathalie Neveux  8 , Philippe J Sansonetti  1   9 , Muriel Vray  2 , Benoît Marteyn  1   10   11   12
Affiliations

Vitamin C levels in a Central-African mother-infant cohort: Does hypovitaminosis C increase the risk of enteric infections?

Violeta Moya-Alvarez et al. Matern Child Nutr. 2021 Oct.

Abstract

In the MITICA (Mother-to-Infant TransmIssion of microbiota in Central-Africa) study, 48 mothers and their 50 infants were followed from delivery to 6 months between December 2017 and June 2019 in Bangui (Central-African Republic). Blood tests and stool analyses were performed in mothers at delivery, and their offspring at birth, 11 weeks and 25 weeks. Stool cultures were performed in specific growth media for Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Enerobacter, Vibrio cholerae, Citrobacter and Klebsiella, as well as rotavirus, yeasts and parasitological exams. The median vitamin C levels in mothers at delivery were 15.3 μmol/L (inter-quartile-range [IQR] 6.2-27.8 μmol/L). In infants, the median vitamin C levels at birth were 35.2 μmol/L (IQR 16.5-63.9 μmol/L). At 11 and 25 weeks, the median vitamin C levels were 41.5 μmol/L (IQR 18.7-71.6 μmol/L) and 18.2 μmol/L (IQR 2.3-46.6 μmol/L), respectively. Hypovitaminosis C was defined as seric vitamin C levels <28 μmol/L and vitamin C deficiency was defined as vitamin C levels <11 μmol/L according to the WHO definition. In mothers, the prevalence of hypovitaminosis-C and vitamin C deficiency at delivery was 34/45 (75.6%) and 19/45 (42.2%), respectively. In infants, the prevalence of hypovitaminosis-C and vitamin C deficiency at 6 months was 18/33 (54.6%) and 11/33 (33.3%), respectively. Vitamin C levels in mothers and infants were correlated at birth (Spearman's rho = 0.5; P value = 0.002), and infants had significantly higher levels of vitamin C (median = 35.2 μmol/L; IQR 16.5-63.9 μmol/L), compared to mothers (median = 15.3 μmol/L; IQR 6.2-27.8 μmol/L; P value <0.001). The offspring of vitamin C-deficient mothers had significantly lower vitamin C levels at delivery (median = 18.7 μmol/L; IQR 13.3-30.7 μmol/L), compared to the offspring of non-deficient mothers (median = 62.2 μmol/L; IQR 34.6-89.2 μmol/L; P value <0.001). Infants with hypovitaminosis-C were at significantly higher risk of having a positive stool culture during the first 6 months of life (adjusted OR = 5.3, 95% CI 1.1; 26.1; P value = 0.038).

Keywords: Central-Africa; bacterial carriage; infant malnutrition; pregnant women; vitamin C deficiency.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Distribution of vitamin C levels during follow‐up
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Correlation between maternal and infant vitamin C levels at birth
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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