Intestinal Absorption of Vitamin E in Low Birth Weight Infants

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Abstract
Intestinal absorption of dl-.alpha.-tocopheryl acetate was studied in low birth weight infants. Vitamin E was given from the 1st day of life, either as a water-soluble (Ephynal) or as a lipid-soluble preparation (E-vitamin). Serum-.alpha.-tocopherol concentrations were determined before treatment and on days 3 and 7. Treatment with both vitamin E preparations increased serum-.alpha.-tocopherol on day 3 and 7. The mean serum-.alpha.-tocopherol .+-. SD on day 7 were 41.4 .+-. 10.7 .mu.mol/l for the Ephynal group and 26.7 .+-. 12.5 .mu.mol/l for the E-vitamin group, this difference being statistically significant (P < 0.025). Oral feeding seems to influence the absorption of tocopherol from E-vitamin, as the infants with the highest serum-.alpha.-tocopherol concentrations were those with the highest oral/total feeding ratios. In infants with birth weight < 1000 g treatment with 25 mg Ephynal/day was found to increase serum-.alpha.-tocopherol on day 7 to 46.9 .+-. 12.3 .mu.mol/l (mean .+-. SD). This concentration is comparable to those reported by others using higher doses of oral vitamin E.