comparison of 25- hydroxy vitamin d levels in premature infants with and without respiratory distress

Background: the 25-hydroxyvitamin d3(25-oh d3)deficiency is a common problem worldwide, and it is aprevalent incidence in neonates. different studies investigated the relationship of vitamin d deficiency with neonatal mortality and morbidity. this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between vitamin d deficiency and respiratory distress in preterm neonates. methods: a prospective cohort study was conducted in alzahra hospital affiliated to isfahan university of medical sciences, isfahan, iran. in total, 160 preterm neonates with>1000 g birth weight were evaluated for the manifestation of respiratory distress during the first 6 h of life. the neonates were divided into two groups of a (n=80) with respiratory symptoms and b (n=80) without respiratory symptoms. the level of 25-oh d3 was measured in the first h of the neonate's life. all neonates were followed to reach 36 weeks of gestational age or 28th day of life. subsequently, the two groups were compared in terms of vitamin d levels. there was a relationship between vitamin d deficiency and respiratory morbidities in group a. results: the mean vitamin d level was obtained at 27.42±11.25 ng/ml, and it was categorized into adequate level (n=53, 33.1%), inadequate level (n=62,38.8%), and vitamin d deficiency (n=45, 28.1%).according to the results, vitamin d level correlated significantly with birth weight and gestational age (p<0.05). moreover, respiratory distress correlated with birth weight, gestational age, and the use of corticosteroids during pregnancy (p<0.001). the mean vitamin d level in group a (with respiratory distress syndrome [rds]) was significantly lower than that in group b (without rds, p<0.001).furthermore, vitamin dcorrelated with rds, a need for intubation surfactant extubation, and duration of continuous positive airway pressure (p<0.05). conclusion: neonates with a low level of vitamin d are prone to manifest respiratory distress, and vitamin d deficiency is a risk factor for presenting rds.