title: Nutritional practice effectiveness to achieve adequate plasma vitamin A, E and D during the early postnatal life in Tunisian very low birth weight infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To look at changes in plasma vitamin A, E and D concentrations during the early postnatal life and to study their link with growth and mortality in Tunisian very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 607 VLBW infants had been followed from birth until hospital discharge or death. Blood was collected at birth, at time of maximal weight loss and at time of recovering birth weight. Retinol and α-tocopherol were analyzed using HPLC and 25 hydroxy vitamin D using radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin A, D and E deficiencies were very common at birth (75.9%, 74.1% and 65.2%, respectively). The prevalence's have decreased throughout hospital stay, but remained high at time of recovering birth weight (59.4%, 31.2% and 28.8%, respectively). Vitamin A deficiency was associated with longer hospital stay [OR (95% CI), 1.66 (1.03-2.93)] and vitamin E deficiency was associated with increased neonatal mortality [1.44 (1.01-2.23)].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current nutritional practices are ineffective to achieve adequate vitamins A, E and D status in Tunisian VLBW infants during the early postnatal life and should be revised. Further work is needed to establish recommended doses of vitamins supplements in these preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of Biochemistry , El Manar University, Rabta Hospital , Tunis , Tunisia and.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of Biochemistry , El Manar University, Rabta Hospital , Tunis , Tunisia and.
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feki
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Medicine of Tunis , Service of Neonatology, Centre of Maternity and Neonatology of Tunis, El Manar University , Tunis , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Chahnez
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khouaja-Mokrani
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of Biochemistry , El Manar University, Rabta Hospital , Tunis , Tunisia and.
authors.forename: Mohamed Marouane
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sethom
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Medicine of Tunis , Service of Neonatology, Centre of Maternity and Neonatology of Tunis, El Manar University , Tunis , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jebnoun
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of Biochemistry , El Manar University, Rabta Hospital , Tunis , Tunisia and.
authors.forename: Naziha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaabachi
keywords: 25-hydroxy vitamin D; alpha-tocopherol; infant; nutrition; preterm; retinol; vitamin deficiency