Fuller N J, Bates C J, Cole T J, Lucas A
Medical Research Council, Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Eur J Pediatr. 1992 Jan;151(1):48-50. doi: 10.1007/BF02073891.
One hundred and four preterm infants were studied during the first few months of life in the Special Care Baby Unit of Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Previously, it had been the daily practice within the Unit to give a 1 mg oral supplement of folate (in the form of pteroylglutamic acid), once the infants had commenced full enteral feeding. At least one blood sample was obtained from 70 infants before oral folate supplementation was started. In these, the plasma folate levels fell progressively from a median value of 45 micrograms/l to a median of 12 micrograms/l, by the 2nd-3rd week of life. Once started on the oral supplement, 83 of the infants provided at least one blood sample. The plasma folate level of these infants rose immediately to a median value of 300 micrograms/l and a maximum of 1000 micrograms/l. Within individuals, these plasma folate levels decreased progressively following the introduction of the supplement, despite continuing daily supplementation. In a typical baby this decrease appeared to be explained by an increase in body-size, i.e. dilution of the folate into a larger pool. The implications of this level of supplementation are discussed, and in the light of our observations we suggest that daily supplementation in the range, 0.05-0.2 mg folate may be preferable for well preterm infants.
在英国剑桥阿登布鲁克医院的特殊护理婴儿病房，对104名早产儿在其生命的最初几个月进行了研究。此前，该病房的日常做法是，一旦婴儿开始完全经口喂养，就给予1毫克口服叶酸补充剂（以蝶酰谷氨酸形式）。在开始口服叶酸补充之前，从70名婴儿身上至少采集了一份血样。在这些婴儿中，血浆叶酸水平在出生后第2至3周从45微克/升的中位数逐渐降至12微克/升的中位数。一旦开始口服补充剂，83名婴儿至少提供了一份血样。这些婴儿的血浆叶酸水平立即升至300微克/升的中位数，最高达1000微克/升。在个体中，尽管持续每日补充，但引入补充剂后这些血浆叶酸水平仍逐渐下降。在一个典型的婴儿中，这种下降似乎可以用身体大小的增加来解释，即叶酸稀释到更大的血容量中。讨论了这种补充水平的影响，根据我们的观察，我们建议对于健康的早产儿，每日补充0.05 - 0.2毫克叶酸可能更为合适。
