DO HEALTHY PREMATURE-INFANTS FED BREAST-MILK NEED VITAMIN-E SUPPLEMENTATION - ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL AND GAMMA-TOCOPHEROL LEVELS IN BLOOD COMPONENTS AND BUCCAL MUCOSAL CELLS

Prematurely born, low birth weight infants are generally considered to be marginally vitamin E-deficient. Vitamin E deficiency has so far be en defined as a low plasma oc-tocopherol level (below 500 mu g/dL) acc ompanied by a low tocopherol to lipid ratio or increased hydrogen pero xide hemolysis of erythrocytes. In the present study, we determined al pha- and gamma-tocopherol in plasma, red blood cells, platelets, bucca l mucosal cells, monocytes, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes of premat ure infants to assess vitamin E status. Fourteen healthy, premature in fants with birth weight (mean I SD) 1439 +/- 364 g and gestational age 30 +/- 1.7 wk were enrolled in the study, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol were determined in cord blood and on d 0 to I, 7, 14, 28, and 42 afte r birth in plasma and various cell types. Moreover, two randomly selec ted human milk samples were studied in each mother. Although subclinic al or biochemical vitamin E deficiency was seen in healthy, premature infants in the first 6 wk of life in plasma and buccal mucosal cells, the other cells showed no such deficiency during the study. We conclud e that these infants do not need routine vitamin E supplementation.