Vitamin A Supplementation and Breast Milk Vitamin A Levels in Mothers of Preterm Infants

Preterm infants are at increased risk of vitamin A deficiency because they are born with low vitamin A stores and depend largely on breast milk to meet their nutritional needs. This study will evaluate whether daily maternal vitamin A supplementation increases vitamin A concentrations in the breast milk of mothers who deliver infants before 29 weeks of gestation. Participants will receive a commercially available oral multivitamin supplement containing 1,300 mcg retinol activity equivalents (RAE) of vitamin A daily for four months after delivery. Breast milk samples will be collected at 2 weeks, 2 months, and 4 months postpartum to measure vitamin A concentrations. The study will assess whether maternal supplementation is a feasible approach for increasing breast milk vitamin A concentrations in mothers of preterm infants.