Selenium and vitamin E sufficiency in premature infants requiring total parenteral nutrition.

A randomized prospective study of LBW infants was undertaken to evaluate the effect of parenteral lipid infusions upon their antioxidant systems. Ten babies received a parenteral nutrition regimen with lipid emulsion, and ten received a regimen without lipid. Although the addition of lipid emulsion to the total parenteral nutrition regimen led to a rise in vitamin E levels, the selenium levels fell in both groups. Neither group showed evidence of deficient antioxidant systems by the peroxide hemolysis test or thiobarbituric acid test. There did not seem to be any adverse effect of the lipid infusion upon the clinical course of the infants except for hyperlipidemia. There was a better weight gain in infants receiving lipid.