Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and rickets in infants of extremely low birthweight. Issue 11 (November 1982)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McIntosh, N; Livesey, A; Brooke, O G
• Is Part Of: Archives of disease in childhood. Volume 57:Issue 11(1982)
• Page Start: 848
• Page End: 850
• Publication Date: 1982-11
• Subjects: Children -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Infants -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.920005
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.57.11.848
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-9888

Abstract

Abstract : Rickets is now a well-known entity in infants of very low birthweight. In a 1-year period (1981) 8 of 15 neonatal survivors whose birthweight was less than 1000 g (extremely low birthweight) developed rickets despite high supplementation with ergo-calciferol, 2000 units a day. At the time of radiological diagnosis their postnatal age was 8 (range 5-14) weeks, and they all had normal or high plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (mean 80 nmol/l, range 40-160 nmol/l). Although 4 infants received alfacalcidol which healed the rickets, in 4 infants the rickets healed spontaneously without change in treatment. The results suggest that inadequate vitamin D supplementation is not the cause of rickets in such infants.