Osteopenia of prematurity: the cause and possible treatment

Area of Science:

• Neonatal nutrition
• Pediatric bone health
• Premature infant development

Background:

• Extrauterine bone mineralization in low-birth-weight infants often lags behind intrauterine development.
• Standard commercial formulas may not provide adequate nutrients for optimal bone accretion in premature infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of increased calcium and phosphate intake on extrauterine bone mineralization in preterm infants.
• To determine if enhanced nutritional strategies can help preterm infants achieve bone mineral density comparable to in-utero levels.

Main Methods:

• Studied infants of 28- to 32-week and 33- to 35-week gestational age.
• Modified standard formula to provide a daily calcium intake of 220-250 mg/kg/day and phosphate intake of 110-125 mg/kg/day.
• Assessed extrauterine bone mineralization using photon absorptiometry.

Main Results:

• Increased calcium and phosphate intake in the modified formula was associated with improved bone mineralization.
• Photon absorptiometry indicated that extrauterine bone mineralization rates approximated intrauterine rates in the studied infants.
• The enhanced nutritional regimen appeared effective in promoting bone development in preterm infants.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced calcium and phosphate supplementation in formula can significantly improve extrauterine bone mineralization in preterm infants.
• Nutritional adjustments are crucial for achieving optimal bone health in low-birth-weight infants.
• This approach shows promise in bridging the gap between extrauterine and intrauterine bone development.