A COMPARISON OF THE TRACE ELEMENT STATUS OF PRE-TERM AND FULL-TERM INFANTS DURING INFANCY

The zinc, copper, manganese and selenium status of 50 pre-term and 60 full-term infants was investigated. Hair samples, dietary intake and anthropometric data were collected at birth and 3, 6, and 12 months (corrected for gestational age in the pre-term group). Hair trace elements were determined by neutron activation analysis. Trace element intakes were calculated from 3 day records.; Median hair zinc declined significantly for the pre-term infants between 3 (127 (mu)g/g) and 6 months (81 (mu)g/g), and was significantly lower than that of the full-term infants (144 (mu)g/g) at 6 months. This decline was associated with a significantly lower mean zinc intake in the pre-term group (2.6 mg/day vs 3.3 mg/day) at 3 months. At no time in the study did the pre-term infants attain the equivalent weight, length or head circumference of the full-term infants. Multiple regression indicated that lower body lengths at 3 and lower body weights at 12 months in both groups were related to low zinc intakes.; Hair copper in the pre-term group declined between 3 (24.4 (mu)g/g) and 6 (12.7 (mu)g/g) months and was significantly lower at 12 months of age (12.5 (mu)g/g vs 16.5 (mu)g/g), consistent with low pre-term copper intakes at 3 (0.36 mg/day) and 12 months (0.61 mg/day).; Hair manganese in the pre-term group declined between 3 (0.65 (mu)g/g) and 6 (0.29 (mu)g/g) months and was lower at 12 months (0.18 (mu)g/g) than that of the full-term group (0.26 (mu)g/g). Pre-term manganese intakes were lower at all sampling times.; Selenium intakes for the pre-term group were significantly lower at 3 months (7 (mu)g/day) and lower at 6 months (14 (mu)g/day) than those of the full-term infants (9 (mu)g/day at 3 months; 17 (mu)g/day at 6 months).; These results suggest that dietary intakes of zinc, copper, manganese and selenium for pre-term infants during early infancy may not be adequate.