title: Vitamin A status of preterm infants during infancy.
abstract: Plasma retinol and retinol-binding protein (RBP) were measured in 67 enterally fed preterm infants (750-1398 g) at 33 +/- 2 wk postconceptional age (PCA), and at regular intervals during infancy. Retinol and RBP declined by 35 +/- 2 wk PCA and remained low at 38 wk after discharge, with the infants fed a term-infant formula. At 38 +/- 2 wk PCA, 48% (32 of 67) of these infants had plasma retinol concentrations less than 0.35 mumol/L. Mean retinol and RBP rose over the next 7 mo, but large numbers of infants (26 of 59 at 48 wk, 10 of 61 at 57 wk) had hyporetinolemia (0.35-0.67 mumol/L). Plasma RBP leveled off at 57 +/- 2 wk PCA and remained low (less than 0.95 mumol/L) in many infants throughout the first year of life. Lower plasma retinol and RBP concentrations at 33 and 38 wk correlated with longer periods of intravenous nutrition. At 57 and 69 wk, lower retinol and RBP correlated with higher birth order. Suboptimal vitamin A status may occur for many months after preterm infants are discharged from the hospital.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee, Memphis.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Peeples
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Werkman
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cooke
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D014801:Vitamin A