Vitamin A status of preterm infants: correlation between plasma retinol concentration and retinol dose response |
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Authors: | C W Woodruff C B Latham H Mactier J E Hewett |
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Affiliation: | Department of Child Health, University of Missouri-Columbia 65212. |
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Abstract: | Retinol dose response tests were performed on 83 preterm infants shortly before discharge by giving orally 5000 IU of an aqueous dispersion of retinol. Predose plasma retinol concentrations were 2.5-20.5 micrograms/dL (0.087-0.72 mumol/L) and the retinol dose responses were 0-59.8%. The regression of retinol dose response on predose retinol was -0.58. There was a parallel increase in both retinol and retinol-binding protein and an increase in the molar ratio of retinol-binding protein to prealbumin. Prealbumin did not increase. These findings suggest that preterm infants have reduced liver stores of vitamin A. |
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