Vitamin D status in preterm neonates and the effects of its supplementation on respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the status and effects of vitamin D supplement as adjuvant therapy in the management of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants. Patient and Methods: Vitamin D was prospectively studied in 196 preterm neonates, 96 of them developed RDS, which further subdivided into three subgroups (subgroup received just conventional therapy, subgroup received conventional therapy plus vitamin D 400 IU/day, and subgroup received conventional therapy plus vitamin D 800 IU/day). The patient selection for each treatment subgroup was done by computed randomization, and all the patients had the same treatment protocols assigned for each subgroup. Results: The preterm group who developed RDS had lower vitamin D concentrations than the preterm group without RDS (*P