PEDIATRICS Vol. 80 No. 5 November 1987, pp. 680-683
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 Phillips, B.
Right arrow Articles by Greene, H. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Phillips, B.
Right arrow Articles by Greene, H. L.

Vitamin E Levels in Premature Infants During and After Intravenous Multivitamin Supplementation

Barry Phillips MD1, Linda S. Franck RN, MS1, and Harry L. Greene MD1

1 From the Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, Oakland, California, and the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

Serum vitamin E levels were measured in 19 infants weighing 1.0 to 1.5 kg, in 16 infants weighing less than 1 kg who received 65% of a vial (4.6 mg of vitamin E) of multivitamins (MVI Pediatric) daily, and in another group of 16 infants weighing less than 1 kg who received 30% of a vial (2.1 mg of vitamin E) daily. Supplementation was started within 12 hours of birth. Serum vitamin E levels were also measured after supplementation was discontinued in infants who had received 65% of a vial daily. Vitamin E sufficiency (levels equal to or greater than 0.5 mg/dL) was attained after 48 hours of supplementation in all infants receiving 65% of a vial daily and after 72 hours of supplementation in all infants receiving 30% of a vial daily. Vitamin E sufficiency was not maintained in all infants receiving 30% of a vial daily. Of the infants weighing less than 1 kg who received 65% of a vial daily, 31% had serum levels greater than 3.5 mg/dL, whereas no infant weighing less than 1 kg who received 30% of a vial daily had a level greater than 3.5 mg/dL (P < .05). Of the infants weighing less than 1 kg who received 30% of a vial daily, 56% had levels less than 1 mg/dL v 6% of infants less than 1 kg who received 65% of a vial daily (P < .01). Vitamin E levels decreased after MVI Pediatric supplementation with 65% of a vial was discontinued (P < .05). After MVI Pediatric was discontinued, some infants became vitamin E insufficient.

Key Words: vitamin E • agr-tocopherol

Accepted on December 30, 1986