文本框: VITAMIN A SERUM LEVEL IN TERM INFANTS UNDERGOING PHOTOTHERAPY Ayyash H F1, Herrick A1, Wood D1, Shaw N J2 1Department of Paediatrics, Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal hospital, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK 2 Neonatal Unit, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK Objective: To determine the effect of phototherapy on serum vitamin A in term jaundiced neonates. Methods: Two groups (A and B) of healthy jaundiced neonates were included. Group A consisted of 26 neonates requiring phototherapy, while the remaining 26 neonates (group B) was the control group who did not need phototherapy. Blood was sampled prior to starting phototherapy, 24 hours after commencement of treatment and 24 hours after stopping treatment. In the control group three blood samples were performed at 24 hours intervals. Serum retinol was measured by using high performance liquid chromatography. Results: Vitamin A level was higher in the phototherapy group compared to the control group at 24 hours after starting treatment (114ng/ml versus 76ng/ml-p<0.005) while there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups prior to start (109ng/ml versus 126ng/ml-p<0.0001) or 24 hours after stopping the phototherapy (159ng/ml versus 149ng/ml-p<0.0001). Conclusion: Phototherapy increased vitamin A level in term neonates undergoing phototherapy and this may reflect differences in insensible water loss during treatment. However, larger clinical trials in term and preterm neonates are needed to elucidate its effects in the clinical setting. 1908