Affiliations: [a]
Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India
| [b]
Department of Biochemistry, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, India
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Dr. Prerna Batra, MD, Director-Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi – 110095, India. Tel.: +91 9958672759; E-mail: drprernabatra@yahoo.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Severe perinatal depression is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in neonates. Vitamin D levels were observed to be low in mothers and their neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in some studies, owing to its neuroprotective properties. OBJECTIVE:Primary objective was to compare vitamin D deficiency state in full term neonates with severe perinatal depression and healthy term controls. Secondary objectives were to determine sensitivity and specificity of serum 25(OH)D<12 ng/mL in predicting mortality, development of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, abnormal neurological examination at discharge, and developmental outcome at 12 weeks of age. MATERIAL AND METHODS:Serum 25(OH)D levels in full term neonates with severe perinatal depression and healthy controls were compared. RESULTS:Serum 25(OH)D levels in severe perinatal depression and controls (n = 55 each group) were significantly different (7.50 ± 3.53 ng/mL vs 20.23 ± 12.70 ng/mL). At cut-off of < 12 ng/mL, serum 25(OH)D could predict mortality with 100% sensitivity and 17% specificity and poor developmental outcomes with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 50%. CONCLUSION:Vitamin D deficiency status at birth can serve as an effective screening tool and poor prognostic markers in term neonates with severe perinatal depression.
