Abstract
Extract: Preterm newborns were found to be markedly hypotransferrinemie when compared with normal term infants. At birth the concentration of transferrin in sera from preterm infants of gestational age equal to or less than 32 weeks is 45% of that found in normal term infant sera. The preterm infant transferrin levels slowly rise so that 7–8 weeks after birth they are 78% of the level found in the sera of normal term infants. We also found that the serum transferrin concentrations at birth correlate with gestational age. Therefore, the transferrin levels postnatally in early preterm infants reflect postconceptional rather than postnatal age.
Speculation: Since we found that early preterm newborns are markedly hypotransferrinemic, administration of iron to such infants during their first few postnatal months may be contraindicated. Harmful side effects of iron during this period might include an increased susceptibility to infection because of the known bacteriostatic and fungistatic activities of iron-free transferrin.
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Galet, S., Schulman, H. & Bard, H. The Postnatal Hypotransferrinemia of Early Preterm Newborn Infants. Pediatr Res 10, 118–120 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197602000-00010
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197602000-00010
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