ABSTRACT
Background: intra-ventricular hemorrhage [IVH] is acute cerebral complications of premature infants, which may lead to the long-term problems
Objective: according to the role of vitamin D in the stability of the blood vessels, the present study was carried out in order to compare the vitamin D level in the premature infants with or without IVH
Materials and Methods: this cross-sectional study was carried out on 180 premature infants in the Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran 97 infants without IVH [53.9%] and 83 with IVH [46.1%] through convenience sampling technique in 20152017. Serum vitamin D level of funiculus in the two groups was compared. A researcher made questionnaire was used which includes infants' personal and laboratory information; and their mother's information
Results: seventy nine percent of infants suffered from vitamin D deficiency in which 33.9% had a severe deficiency [less than 10 ng/ml], 30% moderate deficiency [10.1-20 ng/ml], 15% slight deficiency [20.1-30 ng/ml] and 21.1% had normal vitamin D [>30.1 ng/ml]. Vitamin D mean +/- SD of infants in the control group, 23.71 +/- 12.98 ng/ml and case group 15.92 +/- 10.27 ng/ml [p<0.001]. In total 92.8% of infants with IVH had levels of vitamin D below30 ng/ml, while this rate was 67% in infants without IVH
Conclusion: vitamin D deficiency in the premature infants is very common. Also, the serum vitamin D level in infants with IVH was less than infants without IVH. Therefore, the recommendation of vitamin D may be effective in the prevention of neonatal IVH