Evaluation of vitamin D(3) levels and morphotic parameters of blood in prematurely born children at six years of age

In Poland the preterm children, with the birth rate reaching 6.3%, constitute a serious medical problem. The system of specialistic clinics provides them with the multidisciplinary care for the first 3 years of life, including the monitoring of hematologic parameters in relation with anemia and osteopenia. The aim of this study was to assess the vitamin D(3) level and morphotic parameters of blood in children who were prematurely born at the time when they are about to start school. The study was carried out in a group of 92 children, aged 6 years ±0.63, including 54 preterm children born at gestational age <32 weeks - and 38 full-term children. A basic anthropometric measures and assessment of morphotic parameters and the vitamin D(3) level were assessed. Statistical analyses were carried out using Shapiro-Wilk W-test, Student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Preterm children had significantly lower the vitamin D(3) level than controls. This also refers to some morphotic parameters of blood, such as level of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and platelets. Prematurely born 6–7 year-old children have significantly lower vitamin D3 levels in blood serum than normal and significantly lower hemoglobin levels than full-term children.