Plasma retinol and retinol-binding protein in pre-term infants born small for gestational age or of appropriate weight for age.

Plasma retinol and retinol-binding protein (RBP) were measured in 39 pre-term infants, 15 of whom were small-for-gestational age (SGA), within 48 h of birth. Retinol concentrations were inversely correlated with gestational age and birth weight, but there was no significant difference between the well grown pre-term infants and the SGA infants. RBP concentrations were not correlated with gestation or birth weight, but the values in SGA infants were significantly lower than in well grown infants (P less than 0.01). Although RBP was highly correlated with retinol in well grown infants (P less than 0.001), no such correlation was observed in SGA infants. The significance of this is discussed.