Archives of disease in childhood
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The skeletal changes in 19 very low birthweight infants (less than 1500 g) were observed from birth to 10 weeks, by means of clinical, biochemical, and radiological techniques. All infants were receiving a supplement of 800 IU vitamin D a day from age 2 weeks. None of the infants showed any specific physical sign of rickets during the period of study. ⋯ Serum alkaline phosphatase values were significantly higher at 5 weeks in the infants with abnormal radiographs than in those without. There were no significant differences between the two groups in relation to serum calcium, inorganic phosphate, 25 hydroxyvitamin D, and immunoreactive parathyroid hormone. The pathogenesis of the skeletal lesions of very low birthweight infants remains unknown.
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Twenty infants, mechanically ventilated in the neonatal period for respiratory distress syndrome, were compared with 15 healthy controls, matched for birthweight(less than 1501 g) but greater in mean gestational age. Clinical features and lung mechanics (by whole body plethysmography) were recorded at 6-monthly intervals until about one year. THe neonatal course of the mechanically ventilated infants was commonly complicated by tracheobronchial hypersecretion and the later course by a fairly high incidence of lower respiratory tract illness. ⋯ Early lung function tests were of limited value in predicting later lower respiratory tract illness, which was more common in boys, after neonatal mechanical ventilation for longer than 24 hours or raised ambient oxygen for longer than 5 days. There were few predictive physical signs. In this group of very low birthweight infants, respiratory distress syndrome of sufficient severity to require mechanical ventilation led to significant physiological and clinical disturbances of lung function which lasted into the second 6 months of life and which were particularly severe in those who had recurrent lower respiratory tract illness.