Abstract
Successful treatment of EFA deficiency by topical application of an EFA-rich oil has been reported. To further define efficacy of the topical route, serum EFA levels were measured in 10 neonates receiving fat-free parenteral nutrition (PN) : six neonates before and 12 days after beginning topical application of 100 mg/kg/day of linoleic acid, and four neonates receiving long term PN and 800 mg/kg/day of topical linoleic acid One of the six neonates receiving, low dose EFA-rich oil had mild EFA deficiency (trienoic/tetraenoic ratio, or T/T, .93) which was reversed with the topical oil (T/T .37); the other five low dose patients had significant worsening of their EFA deficiency (mean T/T 1.4 and, later. 13.6). All four patients receiving long term PN Enveloped severe deficiency (mean T/T 11.2) despite high dose topical EFA-rich oil; one of these four also developed a severe dermatitis secondary to EFA deficiency. In any patient, the topical application of an EFA-rich oil cannot be assumed to be effective in reversing or preventing EFA deficiency unless documented by approprtate blood and tissue EFA measurements.
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Hunt, C., Engel, R., Modler, S. et al. ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID (EFA) DEFICIENCY IN NEONATES: INABILITY TO REVERSE DEFICIENCY BY TOPICAL APPLICATION OF EFA-RICH OIL. Pediatr Res 11, 444 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00450
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00450