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High maternal vitamin E intake by diet or supplements is associated with congenital heart defects in the offspring

  1. HPM Smedts1,
  2. JH de Vries2,
  3. M Rakhshandehroo1,2,
  4. MF Wildhagen1,
  5. AC Verkleij-Hagoort1,
  6. EA Steegers1,
  7. RPM Steegers-Theunissen1,3,4,5,*

Article first published online: 21 JAN 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2008.01957.x

Issue

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Volume 116, Issue 3, pages 416–423, February 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Smedts, H., de Vries, J., Rakhshandehroo, M., Wildhagen, M., Verkleij-Hagoort, A., Steegers, E. and Steegers-Theunissen, R. (2009), High maternal vitamin E intake by diet or supplements is associated with congenital heart defects in the offspring. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 116: 416–423. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2008.01957.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

  2. 2

    Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands

  3. 3

    Department of Epidemiology

  4. 4

    Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

  5. 5

    Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Erasmus MC – Sophia Children’s Hospital, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

*Dr RPM Steegers-Theunissen, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Dr Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Email r.steegers@erasmusmc.nl

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 JAN 2009
  2. Article first published online: 21 JAN 2009
  3. Accepted 29 August 2008.

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Keywords:

  • Antioxidants;
  • heart anomalies;
  • nutrients;
  • risk factors

Objective  To study associations between maternal dietary and supplement intake of antioxidants vitamin E, retinol and congenital heart defects (CHDs).

Design  Case–control study.

Setting  Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Population  Participants were 276 case mothers of a child with CHD and 324 control mothers with their children.

Methods  Food frequency questionnaires covering the intake of the previous 4 weeks were filled out at 16 months after the index pregnancy. Data were compared between cases and controls using the Mann–Whitney U test. Risk estimates for the association between CHD and dietary intake of vitamin E and retinol were estimated in a multivariable logistic regression model.

Main outcome measures  Medians (5–95th percentile) and odds ratios with 95% CI.

Results  Dietary vitamin E intake was higher in case mothers than in controls, 13.3 (8.1–20.4) and 12.6 (8.5–19.8) mg/day (P= 0.05). CHD risk increased with rising dietary vitamin E intakes (P-trend = 0.01). Periconception use of vitamin E supplements in addition to a high dietary vitamin E intake above 14.9 mg/day up to nine-fold increased CHD risk. Retinol intakes were not significantly different between the groups and not associated with CHD risk.

Conclusions  High maternal vitamin E by diet and supplements is associated with an increased risk of CHD offspring.

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