The Vanderbilt Cooperative Study of Maternal and Infant Nutrition VII. Tocopherol in Relation to Pregnancy

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Abstract
The variations in plasma tocopherol levels during pregnancy are described based upon (a) 1,575 single determinations of tocopherols and (b) a group of serial estimations on 39 women. The calculated dietary intake of total tocopherol for 197 pregnant women ranged from 2.9 to 33.3 mg, with a median approximating 10 mg. The average total tocopherol content of plasma increased from 0.89 ± 0.02 mg/100 ml for measurements during the first trimester of pregnancy to 1.40 ± 0.05 mg/100 ml at 39 weeks or later. Increased concentration of tocopherol in plasma occurred with age and in diabetics. Plasma levels of tocopherol tended to be lower in the groups with the lower calculated intakes; the differences were noted at an intake level below 8 mg of total tocopherol daily. An association exists between concentrations of tocopherols and carotene in the plasma. Significant deviation of maternal plasma tocopherol levels from the total average did not occur in any of the subgroups of subjects who experienced complications of pregnancy. It may be concluded that no support has been obtained for the thesis that tocopherol deficiency accounts for the unexplained complications of pregnancy which are encountered in a “normal” obstetrical population as represented by our sample.

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