Blood, urine, and dietary pantothenic acid levels of pregnant teenagers

Abstract

Pantothenic acid content of the diet, urine, and blood of 17 pregnant and 5 nonpregnant teenagers was determined. Both the pregnant and the nonpregnant girls consumed inadequate amounts of pantothenic acid, indicating that pregnant girls were not motivated by their pregnancies to choose nutritionally better diets. Mean intake computed from diary food records of the pregnant group was 4.7 mg pantothenic acid/day from diet alone, and 7.2 mg/day for the diet plus supplements. Only one of the girls consumed the 10 mg pantothenic acid/day suggested by the Food and Nutrition Board, even with a vitamin supplement. Urinary excretion of pantothenic acid by both groups of girls was in the lower range of normal adult values and some were in the range found in laboratory studies of pantothenate deficiency. The excretion level was considerably less than for a group of men consuming a constant 12 mg of the vitamin daily. Blood levels of bound pantothenic acid were lower in the girls during pregnancy and 6 weeks postpartum than in the nonpregnant girls. Infant blood from the umbilical cord was higher in pantothenate than maternal blood but lower than reported for infants of well-nourished women. Based on these findings, inclusion of 5 to 10 mg pantothenic acid in daily prenatal supplements is indicated.