1253 PHOTOTHERAPY AND RIBOFLAVIN STATUS

Abstract

Erythrocyte glutathione reductase(EGR)activity has been used to detect riboflavin(B2) deficiency in premature infants under phototherapy(PHOTO). We investigated variables that might influence PHOTO induced B2 deficiency. 27 infants(BW 1.55 kg and GA 32.5 wks) were studied from 1 to 7 days of age. 14 Infants received PHOTO and 13 served as controls. In the PHOTO group, mean age of onset of PHOTO was 38.5±13.5 hours (range 15-52 hrs) and the mean duration of PHOTO was 39.7±23 hrs (range 17-95 hrs). The mean daily irradiance administered via continuous blue or white PHOTO was 7.8±5.9 nm/cm2 (range 2.8-17 nm/cm2) in the blue spectral range. The PHOTO group had a mean pre-treatment bilirubin of 7.7±1.3 mg/dl and post-treatment bilirubin of 7.6±1.9 mg/dl. Food samples were analyzed for B2 content and the calculated B2 intake for the PHOTO group was 0.09±.09 mg/day and for the control group was 0.14±.12 mg/day. EGR activity as expressed by the activity coefficient(AC) was measured daily. There were no significant differences in the ACs of the control or PHOTO groups. No infants of either group had evidence of B2 deficiency, i.e., AC>1.20. Although our mean duration of PHOTO was less than in previous reports of PHOTO-induced B2 deficiency, 5 of our infants who had normal ACs received >40 hrs of PHOTO with moderate to high irradience and had B2 intakes of ≥0.1 mg/day. B2 deficiency in the premature under PHOTO does not necessarily occur and is not strictly a function of duration of PHOTO or B2 intake.