Blood myo-inositol concentrations in preterm and term infants

Luc P Brion1, Dale L Phelps2, Robert M Ward3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. luc.brion@utsouthwestern.edu.

Insights

Fetal and infant myo-inositol levels decrease with increasing gestational age. Enteral feeding in infants significantly increases myo-inositol blood concentrations compared to unfed infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition
  • Biochemistry
  • Pediatric research

Background:

  • Myo-inositol is a vital nutrient for fetal and infant development.
  • Understanding myo-inositol levels is crucial for assessing infant health and nutritional status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between fetal myo-inositol concentrations and gestational age (GA).
  • To track blood myo-inositol trends in enterally and parenterally fed infants from birth to 70 days.

Main Methods:

  • Collected 441 samples from 281 infants born in 2005-2006.
  • Analyzed myo-inositol concentrations using linear regression models.
  • Displayed data using scatter plots.

Main Results:

  • Cord blood myo-inositol decreased by 11.9% per week of GA.
  • Postnatal myo-inositol decreased by 14.3% per week of postmenstrual age (PMA).
  • Enterally fed infants had 51% higher myo-inositol levels than unfed infants.

Conclusions:

  • Fetal myo-inositol concentrations decline with advancing gestational age.
  • Postnatal myo-inositol levels decrease with increasing postmenstrual age.
  • Enteral nutrition positively impacts infant myo-inositol levels.
Abstract

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