The Long-Term Effect of Very Low Birth Weight and Prematurity On Bone Mineral Density In 5-7 Years Old Children

Objective: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are at increased risk of osteopenia of prematurity due to interruption of intrauterine bone mineralization. In this study aimed to evaluate the bone mineral density (BMD) by evaluating DXA in children aged 5-7 years with VLBW and preterm birth. Methods: This study was conducted prospectively between February 2011 and September 2012. Seventy-five children aged 5-7 years, who were born under 1.500 grams were included. Results: Bone density measurements of the study group (42 female 56%) were found to be low compared to the DXA reference values (p < 0.001). According to the L1-L4 Z score, bone density was found to be low in 21.33% (n: 16) of the cases. Total femur Z score (p = 0.018), femur neck BMD (p = 0.001), total femur BMD (p = 0.012) values were significantly lower in females than males. Whole body BMD values (p = 0.021) were significantly lower in patients receiving postnatal systemic steroids than in the non-receiving group. Femur neck BMD values of the patients who received only breast milk in the first six months were found to be statistically significantly higher than those who received only formula in the first six months (p = 0.034).A significant correlation was found between the current height, weight, BMI increase and BMD measurement. Conclusion: In this study, it was shown that bone diseases in VLBW and preterm infants affect bone mineralization in long term. We determined the effects of drugs and nutrition used in treatments and current anthropometric measurements on bone health of preterm and VLBW.