Subclinical protein-energy malnutrition in under-privileged Ethiopian mothers and their newborn infants.

An increased glycine/valine ratio in the maternal and cord vein plasma was observed in under-privileged women and their newborn babies in Ethiopia. There was a delay in the decrease of branch-chained amino acids during the immediate neonatal period. These findings indicate malnutrition in utero and are identical with those of a previous study in an under-privileged group in Pakistan. A reduced cord/maternal ratio of tyrosine and methionine was found in the Ethiopian material, indicating placental dysfunction of unknown origin.