The relations at birth between infant and maternal serum retinol, retinol-binding protein (RBP) and retinol/RBP molar ratio were investigated in 25 healthy term infants and their mothers. The mean serum levels of retinol and RBP were significantly higher in the mothers, but the mean molar ratio of retinol/RBP (RBP saturation) was significantly higher in the infants. Both the infant serum RBP and the infant RBP saturation were positively correlated to the respective serum levels in the mothers.