ABSTRACT
To determine if outcome of low-birth-weight infants is related to oxidant-antioxidant status and trace elements of cord blood. One hundred inborn healthy low-birth-weight neonates, from whom cord blood was available, were included. Newborns who died, in the first week of life or who had major congenital malformations were excluded. We determined cord blood serum Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, alpha-tocopherol [vitamin E], zinc, copper, and selenium, besides cord red blood cells content of superoxide dismutase, Significant oxygen radical diseases of prematurity was defined as the presence of intraventricular hemorrhage greater than grade 2, retinopathy of prematurity greater than stage 1. bronchopulmonary dysplasia at the post conceptional age of 36 weeks or necrotizing enterocolitis. Possible correlations between these parameters and perinatal factors were also tested. Cord serum antioxidant capacity correlated with gestational age but did not correlate with birth weight. Blood malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, vitamin E, zinc, copper and selenium did not correlate with birth weight for the entire sample of 100 neonates. Cord serum antioxidant capacity did not correlate with Apgar scores, or any of the oxygen radical diseases of prematurity. The level of malondialdehyde [a product of lipid peroxidation] is significantly higher in complicated low-birth- weight infants than in non-complicated ones. Meanwhile, a nonsignificant relationship between antioxidants [vitamin E, superoxide dismutase, selenium, zinc and copper] and outcome was identified. Cord serum antioxidant capacity correlate with gestational age, but does not correlate with birth weight. Malondialdehyde is significantly increased in low-birth-weight neonates suffering oxygen radical diseases of prematurity, which may indicate enhanced lipid peroxidation in these infants