Selenium status in term and preterm infants during the first months of life

Objective: We hypothesized that very low birth weight (VLBW) infants have reduced serum and red blood cell (RBC) selenium ( Se) at birth, which decrease further with current nutrition and are associated with chronic lung disease and septicaemia. Design: We studied Se intake, concentration in serum and RBCs and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in preterm and term infants from birth until 16 weeks. Data are mean +/- standard deviation (s.d.). Setting: Seventy-two preterm infants in two groups, born in Berlin, gestational age 26+0/30+0 weeks, birth weight 845/1270 g, with low Se intake (2.2+0.8/ 2.5+1.2 mu g/kg/day), and 55 term infants, gestational age 39+1 weeks, birth weight 3160 g, born in Venezuela ( high Se intake: 29 +/- 8 mu g/day). Results: A balance study in 10 preterm infants showed that Se is well absorbed from human milk ( 77 +/- 9%). Serum concentration was higher in term (142.0 +/- 40.0 mu g/l) than in preterm infants (17.8 +/- 8.1/19.9 +/- 2.2 mu g/l) at 4/ 7 weeks. Serum and RBC concentration of Se declined in all infants, low values in preterm infants did not correlate with chronic lung disease and septicaemia. GSH-Px activity in RBCs remained stable until 6 weeks of age in all infants and was not correlated with Se in RBCs. Conclusions: Se concentration in serum decreases during the first weeks of life and depends on intake. GSH-Px activity is not useful as a marker for Se status in infants up to 16 weeks after birth.