[Relationship between early serum lipid profiles and respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants]

To investigate early serum lipid profiles in preterm infants and their relationship with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) preterm infants were grouped according to gestational age (GA) or birth weight (BW). AGA full-term infants were randomly selected as the control group. Venous blood samples were collected within 12 hours after birth for measurement of biochemical indices, including total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride (TG). Blood lipid levels were compared between preterm infants with and without RDS in various groups.

Plasma TG level rose as GA and BW increased. Plasma TG levels in the 28-30 week and 31-33 week GA groups were significantly lower than in the 34-36 week GA and control groups (P<0.01). Plasma TG levels in the ≤ 1499 g and 1500-2499 g BW groups were significantly lower than in the ≥ 2500 g BW and control groups (P<0.05), and the 1500-2499 g BW group had a significantly higher plasma TG level than the ≤ 1499 g BW group (P<0.01). There were no significant differences in plasma HDL-C, LDL-C and TC levels between all groups and between preterm infants with RDS and without RDS. In the 28-30 week GA group, the preterm infants with RDS had a significantly lower TG level than those without RDS (P<0.05); also, in the ≤ 1499 g BW group, preterm infants with RDS had a significantly lower TG level than those without RDS ( P<0.05).

Blood lipid levels are related to GA and BW. Low TG level may be one of the causes of RDS in preterm infants with a gestational age of 28-30 weeks and a BW of ≤ 1499 g.