Early intravenous correction of vitamin E deficiency in premature infants.

We undertook to determine the efficacy of intravenous alpha-tocopheryl acetate in rapidly correcting the vitamin E deficiency of the premature infant. Twenty-nine infants were assigned to either a control or treatment group. The latter group received a median intravenous dose of 3 IU/kg/day alpha-tocopheryl acetate as MVI-12 (USV Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). On days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 21, plasma tocopherol isomers and peroxide-induced hemolysis were analyzed. While all but one control infant with initial tocopherol deficiency were still deficient on day 3, all but two of the treatment infants were normal. Rapid, safe correction is possible with an intravenous multivitamin preparation.