Skip to Content
Merck
  • Long-term alpha-tocopherol supplements may improve mental development in extremely low birthweight infants.

Long-term alpha-tocopherol supplements may improve mental development in extremely low birthweight infants.

Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) (2014-11-11)
Hiroyuki Kitajima, Tadahiro Kanazawa, Rintaro Mori, Shinya Hirano, Tohru Ogihara, Masanori Fujimura
ABSTRACT

Methods to improve the mental development of extremely low birthweight (ELBW) children are currently lacking. We assessed the effects of long-term supplementation of alpha-tocopherol on the neurological development of 259 school-aged ELBW children. Extremely low birthweight participants were divided into three groups: group A with no alpha-tocopherol supplementation (n = 121); group B with the supplementation for <6 months (n = 104) and group C with the supplementation for more than 6 months (n = 34). We analysed the participants' data at birth and between the ages of one-and-a-half to 8 years and evaluated potential factors associated with intellectual disabilities. Children from group C had the best outcome. The groups' mean gestational weeks and mean ventilator days were as follows: 27.5 weeks, 16.1 days (group A); 25.7 weeks, 41.7 days (group B); and 25.1 weeks, 75.5 days (group C). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the odds ratios for impaired mental development at 8 years were 1.5 in group B and 0.19 (p = 0.017) in group C, compared with 1.0 in group A. The association between the duration of alpha-tocopherol administration and performance intelligence quotient (IQ) was dose dependent (p = 0.03). Long-term supplementation of alpha-tocopherol appeared to improve mental development, in particular, performance IQ, in school-aged ELBW children.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Supelco
Alpha Tocopherol, Pharmaceutical Secondary Standard; Certified Reference Material
Supelco
(±)-α-Tocopherol, analytical standard
Sigma-Aldrich
(±)-α-Tocopherol, synthetic, ≥96% (HPLC)
USP
Alpha Tocopherol, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Reference Standard
Sigma-Aldrich
(±)-α-Tocopherol, tested according to Ph. Eur.
Supelco
DL-alpha-Tocopherol acetate, analytical standard
Sigma-Aldrich
DL-α-Tocopherol acetate, tested according to Ph. Eur.
Sigma-Aldrich
α-Tocopherol, ≥95.5%
Sigma-Aldrich
(+)-α-Tocopherol acetate, BioReagent, suitable for insect cell culture, ~1360 IU/g
Sigma-Aldrich
(+)-α-Tocopherol acetate, oil or semi-solid, ~1360 IU/g
Sigma-Aldrich
DL-α-Tocopherol acetate, ≥96% (HPLC)
α-Tocopherol, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard
α-Tocopherol acetate, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard
Supelco
Tocopheryl Acetate, a, Pharmaceutical Secondary Standard; Certified Reference Material
USP
Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Reference Standard
All-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate for peak identification, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard