Maternal/neonatal vitamin D deficiency: a new risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants?
The objective of the study was to investigate the possible association between maternal/neonatal 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) levels and development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).



One hundred and forty-five preterm infants ⩽36 weeks of gestation were enrolled. 25-OHD levels were determined in maternal/neonatal blood samples that were obtained at the time of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit.



Of the 145 enrolled patients, 26 (18%) developed NEC. Maternal/neonatal 25-OHD levels in the NEC group were significantly lower than those of the no-NEC group (P=0.001 and 0.004, respectively). In univariate logistic regression analysis, both maternal/neonatal vitamin D levels were a significant predictor of NEC (odds ratio (OR): 0.92 and 0.89; P<0.001 and P<0.005, respectively). However, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that only maternal vitamin D level was a significant predictor of NEC (OR: 0.86, P<0.0009).



This is the first study to propose a possible association between maternal/neonatal 25-OHD levels and subsequent development of NEC in preterm infants.
Department of Neonatology, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Teaching and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Cetinkaya
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neonatology, Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Erener-Ercan
Department of Neonatology, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Teaching and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Kalayci-Oral
Department of Neonatology, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Teaching and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Babayiğit
Department of Neonatology, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Teaching and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
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B
Cebeci
Department of Neonatology, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Teaching and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
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SY
Semerci
Department of Neonatology, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Teaching and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
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G
Buyukkale
D000328:Adult; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D