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Trial of daily vitamin D supplementation in preterm infants

Chandra Kumar Natarajan1, M Jeeva Sankar, Ramesh Agarwal

  • 1Divisions of Neonatology and.

Pediatrics
|February 12, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Higher daily vitamin D3 supplementation (800 IU) significantly reduced vitamin D deficiency in preterm infants. While effective, this higher dose may rarely lead to vitamin D excess.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition and metabolism
  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Public health and preventive medicine

Background:

  • Preterm infants born between 28 to 34 weeks' gestation are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency (VDD).
  • Optimal vitamin D supplementation strategies are crucial for preventing VDD and ensuring proper bone development in this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy of 800 IU versus 400 IU of daily oral vitamin D3 in preventing VDD.
  • To assess the impact of different vitamin D3 dosages on VDD prevalence at 40 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA) and 3 months' corrected age (CA) in preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized double-blind trial involving 96 preterm infants (28-34 weeks' gestation) allocated to receive either 800 IU or 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily.
  • Primary outcome: VDD (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D <20 ng/mL) at 40 weeks' PMA.
  • Secondary outcomes: VDD, bone mineral content, and bone mineral density at 3 months' CA.

Main Results:

  • The 800 IU group showed a significantly lower prevalence of VDD at 40 weeks' PMA (38.1% vs. 66.7%) and 3 months' CA (12.5% vs. 35%) compared to the 400 IU group.
  • No significant differences in bone mineral content or bone mineral density were observed between the two groups.
  • One infant (2.4%) in the 800 IU group experienced vitamin D excess (serum levels 100-150 ng/mL).

Conclusions:

  • Supplementation with 800 IU of vitamin D daily effectively reduces VDD in preterm infants at 40 weeks' PMA and 3 months' CA.
  • The higher dose did not improve bone mineralization compared to the lower dose.
  • A potential risk of vitamin D excess exists with the 800 IU daily dose in this population.
Abstract

Keywords:
DXApretermsupplementationvitamin D

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