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Maternal/neonatal vitamin D deficiency: a new risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants?

Abstract

Objective:

The objective of the study was to investigate the possible association between maternal/neonatal 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) levels and development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

Study Design:

One hundred and forty-five preterm infants 36 weeks of gestation were enrolled. 25-OHD levels were determined in maternal/neonatal blood samples that were obtained at the time of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Results:

Of the 145 enrolled patients, 26 (18%) developed NEC. Maternal/neonatal 25-OHD levels in the NEC group were significantly lower than those of the no-NEC group (P=0.001 and 0.004, respectively). In univariate logistic regression analysis, both maternal/neonatal vitamin D levels were a significant predictor of NEC (odds ratio (OR): 0.92 and 0.89; P<0.001 and P<0.005, respectively). However, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that only maternal vitamin D level was a significant predictor of NEC (OR: 0.86, P<0.0009).

Conclusion:

This is the first study to propose a possible association between maternal/neonatal 25-OHD levels and subsequent development of NEC in preterm infants.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, Turkey for their support in the performance of statistical analysis of this work. Chiesi Pharmaceuticals had no role in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the report and in the decision to submit the article for publication.

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Correspondence to M Cetinkaya.

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Cetinkaya, M., Erener-Ercan, T., Kalayci-Oral, T. et al. Maternal/neonatal vitamin D deficiency: a new risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants?. J Perinatol 37, 673–678 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2017.18

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