PEDIATRICS Vol. 77 No. 5 May 1986, pp. 636-640
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Neal, P. R.
Right arrow Articles by Lemons, J. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Neal, P. R.
Right arrow Articles by Lemons, J. A.

Serum Vitamin E Levels in the Very Low Birth Weight Infant During Oral Supplementation

Patricia R. Neal MD1, Pat Erickson RD1, John C. Baenziger MD1, John Olson MD1, and James A. Lemons MD1

1 From the Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology, Indiana University School of Medicine and the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis

A prospective study was initiated to monitor serum tocopherol levels in all infants admitted to Indiana University Medical Center with birth weights <1,500 g. These infants routinely receive 100 mg/kg/d of oral vitamin E (Aquasol E tocopherol acetate) every six hours. Levels are determined weekly or semiweekly using a modification of the fluorometric method of Hanson and Warwick. Vitamin E dosage is adjusted regularly to achieve levels ge3.5 mg/dL. During the 6 months of this study, a total of 76 patients had 567 serum measurements. Of these, 220 levels (38%) were ge3.5 mg/dL, 71 (13%) were ge5.5 mg/dL, and 15 (2.7%) were >8 mg/dL. Serum tocopherol levels often (1) remained ge3.5 mg/dL for several days after oral supplementation was discontinued or (2) again became ge3.5 mg/dL on a reduced dosage of 25 to 50 mg/kg/d. These data indicate that infants weighing <1,500 g at birth who are receiving oral vitamin E supplementation at 100 mg/kg/d will have varied serum levels with a significant percentage exceeding 3.5 mg/dL.

Key Words: vitamin E • oral supplementation • tocopherol

Accepted on November 13, 1985