Parenteral selenium supplementation in extremely low birth weight infants: inadequate dosage but no correlation with hypothyroidism.
OBJECTIVE
Selenium is an essential trace element, known to be important in thyroid metabolism. We speculated that parenteral selenium supplementation is inadequate in preterm infants and may contribute to the development of hypothyroidism.


METHODS
Serum selenium and thyroid function were evaluated on day 10 of life in extremely low birth weight infants. Selenium intake provided by parenteral nutrition was prospectively evaluated.


RESULTS
Selenium intake was close to the recommended 2 micrograms/kg per day. Serum selenium values were 0.54 +/- 0.13 microM (mean +/- SD, n = 29). Selenium serum levels were low in 26 of 29 infants. In infants with subnormal serum selenium levels, free T4 was transiently low in 10 of 26 infants but was normal in 16 of 26 infants. No significant correlation was found between serum selenium levels and hypothyroidism.


CONCLUSIONS
Current selenium supplementation guidelines may be inadequate in extremely low birth weight infants. However, selenium deficiency does not seem to play a major role in neonatal hypothyroidism.
Klinger
G
G
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
Shamir
R
R
Singer
P
P
Diamond
E M
EM
Josefsberg
Z
Z
Sirota
L
L
D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000209:etiology*; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000592:standards*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
D012643:Selenium; D013974:Thyroxine