Bone mineral content in term and preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age infants.

Photon absorptiometry adapted for use in small infants was utilized to measure bone mineral content in 42 term and 30 perterm appropriate-for-gestational-age infants. BMC at birth correlated significantly with gestational age and birth weight. Sequential measurements of BMC in premature infants during the first three months showed that the postnatal increase in BMC was significantly less than the BMC expected in utero. We speculate that decreased intake of calcium and phosphate effects postnatal bone mineralization in premature infants.