Detopoulou Paraskevi, Papandreou Panos, Skouroliakou Maria
Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, University of Peloponnese, Kalamata, GRC.
Department of Nutrition, IASO Hospital, Athens, GRC.
Cureus. 2024 Dec 29;16(12):e76575. doi: 10.7759/cureus.76575. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Preterm infants are at high risk of developing α-tocopherol deficiency, since fat depots are low, intake may be insufficient, malabsorption may coexist, and dietary needs are high. Data on predictors of low α-tocopherol are still limited. Thus, this study aimed to assess the levels of α-tocopherol in preterm infants at birth and explore its anthropometric predictors.
Preterm infants (n=84) from a neonatal intensive care unit were studied. Weight, length, head circumference, and gestational age were recorded. The measurement of α-tocopherol levels was performed in the first 24 hours with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Logistic regression models were applied to identify factors related to low α-tocopherol levels (<1.5 mg/L). The median gestational age was 29.5 weeks and the mean birth weight was 1254 g. Most neonates were of very low birth weight (~89%). About 31% of preterm infants had α-tocopherol deficiency (cutoff <1.5 mg/L). In logistic regression analysis, a newly proposed index, i.e., weight/length (measured in g/cm), was related to low vitamin status. More particularly, a ratio >0.81 g/cm was related to α-tocopherol deficiency independently of other covariates.
Further studies are needed to prove the usefulness of this "easy-to-measure" proposed index in the early detection of α-tocopherol deficiency.
早产儿发生α-生育酚缺乏的风险很高，因为其脂肪储备少，摄入量可能不足，可能并存吸收不良，且饮食需求高。关于低α-生育酚预测因素的数据仍然有限。因此，本研究旨在评估早产儿出生时的α-生育酚水平，并探索其人体测量学预测因素。
对来自新生儿重症监护病房的84例早产儿进行了研究。记录体重、身长、头围和胎龄。在出生后24小时内采用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）测定α-生育酚水平。
应用逻辑回归模型来确定与低α-生育酚水平（<1.5mg/L）相关的因素。中位胎龄为29.5周，平均出生体重为1254g。大多数新生儿出生体重极低（约89%）。约31%的早产儿存在α-生育酚缺乏（临界值<1.5mg/L）。在逻辑回归分析中，一个新提出的指标，即体重/身长（以g/cm为单位），与维生素状态低有关。更具体地说，比值>0.81g/cm与α-生育酚缺乏相关，且独立于其他协变量。
需要进一步研究来证明这个“易于测量”的新指标在早期检测α-生育酚缺乏方面的有用性。
