Vitamin A Status in Premature Infants
BELEN FEUNGPEAN, B.S.*, UMAPORN SUTHUTVORAV UT, M.D.**, SARAYUT SUPAPANNACHART, M.D.**, SOMRUDI RAKTHAI, M.D.**, SUTHIDA CHATVUTTINUN, M.S.***
Affiliation : * Research Center, ** Department of Pediatrics, ***Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Objective : To determine serial changes of plasma vitamin A status during the first month of life in 19 healthy, very low birth weight premature infants.
Method : Subjects were fed with premature infant formula and received multivitamin supplementation. Plasma vitamin A concentrations were measured at 7, 14, and 30 days of age.
Results : Plasma vitamin A levels at 7,14 and 30 days of age were 24.63 ± 6.08, 30.97 ± 5.26 and 30.68 ± 7.14 J..lg/dl, respectively. Plasma vitamin A levels at age 7 days were significantly lower than those at 14 and 30 days of life (p<0.001). Three infants out of 19 (16%) had low plasma vitamin A (<20 J..lg/dl) at 7 days. At 14 and 30 days of age, all infants had normal plasma vitamin A levels.
Conclusion : The results suggested that healthy premature infants were prone to subclinical vitamin A deficiency during the first week of life which could be treated by adequate enteral feeding and routine multivitamin supplementation. A high dose of vitamin A supplementation was not neces sary in healthy premature infants.
Keywords : Vitamin A, Premature Infants
