HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in ADC Online Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Griffin, I J Articles by Cooke, R J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Griffin, I J Articles by Cooke, R J

Zinc protoporphyrin/haem ratio and plasma ferritin in preterm infants

¹ Neonatal Nutrition Research Group, Royal Victoria Infirmary, University of Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
² Department of Haematology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, University of Newcastle

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Griffin, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Centre, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
igriffin{at}bcm.tmc.edu

Objective: To study the utility of the zinc protoporphyrin/haem (ZPP/H) ratio as a measure of iron status in healthy, growing, preterm infants.

Method: ZPP/H was measured in 109 well, preterm infants from the time of hospital discharge until 1 year of age (637 determinations).

Results: ZPP/H was initially high, but steadily declined. This was opposite to what was expected from the known changes in iron stores during the first year of life and the observed changes in plasma ferritin. Subjects with higher ZPP/H ratios tended to have lower ferritins, but changes in ZPP/H in a given subject were poorly reflected by changes in plasma ferritin. Between 6 and 9 months of age, ZPP/H correlated with other measures of iron status, but serum ferritin concentration did not.

Conclusion: Use of the ZPP/H ratio as a measure of iron status during the first year of life appears to be confounded by the developmental changes in ZPP/H, but in the later half of this period it may be a better measure of iron status than serum ferritin.

Keywords: ferritin; haemoglobin; iron deficiency; low birthweight infants; zinc protoporphyrin/haem ratio

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. G. Lott, M. B. Zimmerman, R. F. Labbe, P. J. Kling, and J. A. Widness Erythrocyte Zinc Protoporphyrin Is Elevated With Prematurity and Fetal Hypoxemia Pediatrics, August 1, 2005; 116(2): 414 - 422. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]