Document Type : original article
Authors
Pediatric department, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
Abstract
Background: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) remains a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Neonates are at a significantly high risk of vitamin D deficiency. Maternal and neonatal vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple neonatal diseases including HIE.
Aim: This study aims to explore the possible association between maternal and neonatal 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OHD) levels and HIE in full-term infants and find any relation between vitamin D level and clinical severity of HIE. Methods: This case-control study included 25 full-term neonates with HIE and their mothers and 25 healthy neonates and their mothers. The level of serum (25-OHD) was measured in the first 6 hours of postnatal age from infants and their mothers by isotope dilution ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The severity of HIE was assessed depending on the clinical scoring system.
Results: Neonatal and maternal levels (25-OHD) were significantly lower in the study group compared with that of the control group. Neonatal (25-OHD) levels were significantly lower with increasing severity of HIE (p=0.005), which does not occur with maternal (25-OHD) levels (p=0.96). A positive correlation was found between neonatal and maternal (25-OHD) levels in the study group (r = 0.697, P < 0.001). A negative correlation was detected between neonatal (25-OHD) level and severity of HIE (r = − 0.66, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Lower maternal and neonatal vitamin D levels were associated with HIE in full-term infants and the level of vitamin D was inversely associated with the clinical severity of HIE. Further studies are needed to examine the causal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and HIE in neonates.
Keywords
)