title: Vitamin A supplementation in extremely low-birth-weight infants: subgroup analysis in small-for-gestational-age infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preterm infants with intrauterine growth restriction are at increased risk of respiratory distress syndrome and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). A randomized clinical trial by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network demonstrated that vitamin A supplementation in extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) preterm infants requiring early respiratory support decreased the risk of developing BPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A subgroup analysis of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants from the original NICHD trial was performed to test the hypothesis that in infants requiring early respiratory support, vitamin A supplementation decreases the relative risk of BPD or death in premature SGA infants to a greater extent than in gestational age-equivalent vitamin A-treated appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) infants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although vitamin A supplementation significantly increased serum retinol concentrations in AGA ELBW infants (median [5th percentile, 95th percentile]: 16.3 [-7.0, 68.8] versus 2.4 [-13.9, 55.1]; p < 0.001), no increases were noted in SGA ELBW infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the limited power of this analysis due to a low number of SGA infants, these data did not provide evidence to support the hypothesis that vitamin A supplementation in preterm SGA infants requiring early respiratory support decreases the relative risk of BPD or death as compared with preterm AGA infants.
authors: Division of Neonatology and Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California.
authors: Vedang A
authors: VA
authors: Londhe
authors: Tracy L
authors: TL
authors: Nolen
authors: Abhik
authors: A
authors: Das
authors: Rosemary D
authors: RD
authors: Higgins
authors: Jon E
authors: JE
authors: Tyson
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Oh
authors: Sherin U
authors: SU
authors: Devaskar
mesh_terms: D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A