Maternal and Neonatal Vitamin D Deficiency Associated with an Increased Risk of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Background: Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) remains a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Neonates are at a significantly high risk of vitamin D deficiency. Maternal and neonatal vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple neonatal diseases including HIE. This study aims to explore the possible association between maternal and neonatal ۲۵-hydroxy vitamin D (۲۵-OHD) levels and HIE in full-term infants and it attempts to find whether there is any relationship between vitamin D level and the clinical severity of HIE.Methods: This case-control study included ۲۵ full-term neonates with HIE and their mothers along with ۲۵ healthy neonates and their mothers. The level of serum (۲۵-OHD) of the infants and their mothers was measured in the first ۶ postnatal hours of the infants by isotope dilution ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The severity of HIE was assessed depending on the clinical scoring system.Results: Neonatal and maternal levels (۲۵-OHD) were significantly lower in the study group compared with those of the control group. Neonatal (۲۵-OHD) levels were significantly lower with increasing severity of HIE (p=۰.۰۰۵), but they did not follow the same order in the maternal (۲۵-OHD) levels (p=۰.۹۶); i.e., a negative correlation was detected between neonatal (۲۵-OHD) level and severity of HIE (r = − ۰.۶۶, P < ۰.۰۰۱). A positive correlation was found between neonatal and maternal (۲۵-OHD) levels in the study group (r = ۰.۶۹۷, P < ۰.۰۰۱).Conclusion: Lower maternal and neonatal vitamin D levels were associated with HIE in full-term infants and the level of vitamin D was inversely associated with the clinical severity of HIE. Further studies are needed to examine the causal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and HIE in neonates.

کلیدواژه ها:

۲۵-hydroxyvitamin D ، Maternal ، Neonatal ، Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy ، Vitamin D deficiency