Relationship between vitamin D and alkaline phosphatase in very-low-birthweight infants
- R McCarthy1,
- N McCallion1,
- G Harrison1,
- E J Molloy1,2
- 1Department of Neonatology, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- 2UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science, Dublin, Ireland
- Dr E Molloy, Department of Neonatology, National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; emolloy{at}nmh.ie
- Accepted 28 June 2008
Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly recognised in neonates, especially those born to high-risk mothers.1 Term infants at high risk of vitamin D deficiency have higher mean alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity than controls, indicating increased bone turnover.1 Despite this, ALP activities remain within the normal range in these high-risk infants. There is little research on vitamin D deficiency in very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants, who are at high risk of bone disease due to osteopenia of prematurity (OP) and potentially maternal or nutritional vitamin D deficiency. The increase in breast feeding with inadequate supplementation …
