Abstract
Background: Osteopenia of prematurity (OOP) is a common problem in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Early detection of poor bone mineralization is essential to minimize continued bone loss, optimize mineral intake and adjust therapies to prevent fractures. Serum indices of total alkaline phosphatase (AP), bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BsAP), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) are often used as clinical markers in the diagnosis of osteopenia in this population. These indices, however, do not provide a specific measure of bone status. Radiographic methods of bone mineral assessment involve high cumulative radiation doses and logistical complexities making their routine use impractical in this fragile population. Quantitative bone ultrasound (QUS) is done using portable equipment which measures the speed of sound (SOS) conducted through bone tissue and does not involve radiation exposure. In addition, QUS measurements reflect not only bone mineral content, but also bone strength and elasticity, giving a more complete evaluation of bone status.
Primary Objective: To examine the correlation between QUS measurements and serum AP, BsAP, Ca and P in very low birth weight infants.
Methods: Eligible infants included all infants in our NICU with birth weight ≤ 1250 Gms considered at-risk for OOP. Baseline and weekly serum Ca, P, AP and BsAP were monitored for the first 4 weeks of life. QUS measurements were performed at 1 month of age and reported as a standardized score (z-score) and SOS. A Pearson correlation matrix was used to examine the relationship between serum and QUS measurements.
Results/Conclusions: Preliminary analysis on 11 infants reveals no relationship between the traditional serum indices of OOP and QUS (AP; r=0.08, BsAP; r=0.02, p ≤ 0.0001). Data collection is ongoing until a total of 50 infants are enrolled. Further data will help to evaluate the relationship between QUS and serum indices of OOP, and the potential utility of QUS in evaluating OOP in the NICU setting.
Anticipated number of subjects available for analyses by time of presentation; 20.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mansury, N., Sheftel, D., Puppala, B. et al. 52 Evaluation of Correlation Between the Quantitative Bone Ultrasound and Serum Alkaline Phosphatase, and Bone Specific Alkaline Phosphatase in Very Low Birth Weight Infants at Risk for Osteopenia of Prematurity.. Pediatr Res 60, 499 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200610000-00074
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200610000-00074