SERUM-LIPIDS DURING PARENTERAL-NUTRITION WITH A 10-PERCENT LIPID EMULSION WITH REDUCED PHOPHOLIPID EMULSIFIER CONTENT IN PREMATURE-INFANTS

Fourteen premature infants (range 26+0 to 32+3), all but two appropria te for gestational age with a mean body weight of 1196 g (range 860 to 2770 g) received a 10% lipid emulsion, This lipid emulsion contained half of the formerly used phopholipid emulsifier concentration reducin g the phospholipid/triglyceridie ratio to the ratio used for the 20% l ipid emulsion (0.06 instead of 0.12), Lipid emulsion was given over a 10 day period commencing at the third day of life with 0.5 g/kg/24 h w hich was increased daily up to a dose of 2.0-2.5 g/kg/24 h which was r eached in all patients at the seventh day of the observation period, D uring this time mean serum concentrations of cholesterol increased non -significantly from 76.1 mg/dl (SD 33.7) before lipid emulsion to 86.1 mg/dl (SD 36.4) on day seven of the observation period, 13 of the 14 patients (97%) showed no pathological increase of their serum triglyce ride concentration during lipid infusion, Mean serum triglyceride conc entration increased from mg/dl (SD 32.0 mg/dl) before the start of lip id emulsion to 102.6 mg/dl (SD 76.5) on day four (p < 0.05) but with n o further significant increase, Lipid emulsions with 10% trigyceride b ut lower phospholipid content are tolerated without pathological incre ase in triglyceride or cholesterol serum concentration in the vast maj ority of premature newborns.