Premature infants with vitamin D deficiency had an average blood vitamin D level of 13.20 ng/mL, which is classified as severe deficiency, showing that severe deficiency is common in this group.
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Premature babies are born with underdeveloped livers that can't turn vitamin D into its active form, and they didn't get enough from their mothers before birth. They also don't make much from sunlight. This causes their blood vitamin D levels to stay dangerously low.
Most probable mechanism
Premature babies have underdeveloped livers that cannot efficiently convert vitamin D into its active form, and they also get little vitamin D from sunlight or their mothers before birth. This causes their blood levels of vitamin D to stay very low, leading to severe deficiency.
Vitamin D3 is not synthesized sufficiently in the skin due to limited sun exposure and immature epidermal layers in premature infants
Maternal transfer of vitamin D3 across the placenta is reduced in preterm birth, resulting in low neonatal stores at birth
Hepatic 25-hydroxylase enzyme activity is underdeveloped in premature infants, limiting conversion of vitamin D3 to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 remains below 20 ng/mL due to insufficient production and lack of exogenous intake
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Contradicting (0)
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