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Functional indicators of vitamin D adequacy for very low birth weight infants

Sarah N Taylor1, Amy Wahlquist2, Carol L Wagner3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. taylorse@musc.edu.

Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association
|May 11, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Optimizing vitamin D levels in preterm infants is crucial for bone health. Achieving a 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of 48 ng/mL supports optimal calcium and femur bone mineralization.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition
  • Pediatric bone metabolism
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Preterm infants are at risk for vitamin D deficiency.
  • Adequate vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and bone mineralization.
  • Optimizing vitamin D status is critical for long-term bone health in this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the optimal vitamin D status for preterm infants.
  • To identify the 25-hydroxyvitamin D threshold for maximizing calcium and bone health.
  • To assess the relationship between vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and bone mineralization.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 89 very low birth weight preterm infants from birth to term age.
  • Measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and bone mineral content (BMC) and density.
  • Piecewise linear regression to identify vitamin D thresholds for bone health parameters.

Main Results:

  • Femur BMC and density increased with 25-hydroxyvitamin D up to thresholds of 48 ng/mL and 46 ng/mL, respectively.
  • Parathyroid hormone levels decreased with increasing 25-hydroxyvitamin D, plateauing at 42 ng/mL.
  • Significant associations were found between vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone levels and femur mineralization.

Conclusions:

  • Preterm infant vitamin D status is linked to parathyroid hormone levels and femur mineralization.
  • Achieving specific 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations is associated with optimal calcium homeostasis and bone health.
  • Recommendations for vitamin D supplementation in preterm infants can be guided by these findings.
Abstract

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