Skip to main content
PMC home page
Archives of Disease in Childhood logoLink to Archives of Disease in Childhood
. 1980 Aug;55(8):611–615. doi: 10.1136/adc.55.8.611

Effect of early oral calcium supplementation on serum calcium and immunoreactive calcitonin concentration in preterm infants.

L Sann, L David, J A Chayvialle, Y Lasne, M Bethenod
PMCID: PMC1627044  PMID: 7436517

Abstract

Oral calcium supplements (80 mg/kg per 24 h) were given to 23 preterm infants, and the course of serum calcium, magnesium, immunoreactive calcitonin, and gastrin was compared with a control group of 23 matched infants. In the supplemented group, serum calcium concentrations remained at the baseline level (2.31 mmol/l +/- 0.18 SD) while a fall (from 2.27 +/- 0.18 to 1.91 +/- 0.24 mmol/l) was observed at 12-16 hours of age in the control group, with 4 values < 1.75 mmol/l. There was no change in serum magnesium concentration in either group. The postnatal rise of serum immunoreactive calcitonin concentrations in the control group (from 171 +/- 135 to 493 +/- 273 pg/ml at 12-48 hours of age) was not found in the supplemented group. There was a negative correlation between serum calcium and immunoreactive calcitonin levels in the control group, but not in the supplemented group. There was no correlation between serum immunoreactive calcitonin and gastrin concentrations. These data show that oral calcium supplementation can prevent early neonatal hypocalcaemia, and suggest that this effect is achieved at least in part through a reduction of the postnatal rise of serum immunoreactive calcitonin.

Full text

PDF
611

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bergman L., Kjellmer I., Selstam U. Calcitonin and parathyroid hormone--relation to early neonatal hypocalcemia in infants of diabetic mothers. Biol Neonate. 1974;24(1):151–160. doi: 10.1159/000240646. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brown D. R., Tsang R. C., Chen I. Oral calcium supplementation in premature and asphyxiated meonates. J Pediatr. 1976 Dec;89(6):973–977. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(76)80613-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cockburn F., Brown J. K., Belton N. R., Forfar J. O. Neonatal convulsions associated with primary disturbance of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium metabolism. Arch Dis Child. 1973 Feb;48(2):99–108. doi: 10.1136/adc.48.2.99. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cooper C. W., Obie J. F., Toverud S. U., Munson P. L. Elevated serum calcitonin and serum calcium during suckling in the baby rat. Endocrinology. 1977 Dec;101(6):1657–1664. doi: 10.1210/endo-101-6-1657. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cooper C. W., Schwesinger W. H., Mahgoub A. M., Ontjes D. A. Thyrocalcitonin: stimulation of secretion by pentagastrin. Science. 1971 Jun 18;172(3989):1238–1240. doi: 10.1126/science.172.3989.1238. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. David L., Salle B., Chopard P., Grafmeyer D. Studies on circulating immunoreactive calcitonin in low birth weight infants during the first 48 hours of life. Helv Paediatr Acta. 1977 Jun;32(1):39–48. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dubowitz L. M., Dubowitz V., Goldberg C. Clinical assessment of gestational age in the newborn infant. J Pediatr. 1970 Jul;77(1):1–10. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(70)80038-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fahrenkrug J., Schaffalitzky de Muckadell O. B., Rehfeld J. F. Serum calcitonin in hypergastrinaemia due to achlorhydria. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 1977 Sep;86(1):140–145. doi: 10.1530/acta.0.0860140. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ganguli P. C., Hunter W. M. Radio-immunoassay of gastrin in human plasma. J Physiol. 1972 Jan;220(2):499–510. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hesch R. D., Woodhead S., Huefner M., Wolf H. Gastrointestinal stimulation of calcitonin in adults and newborns. Horm Metab Res. 1973 May;5(3):235–235. doi: 10.1055/s-0028-1096742. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Heynen G., Franchimont P. Human calcitonin radioimmunoassay in normal and pathological conditions. Eur J Clin Invest. 1974 Jun;4(3):213–222. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1974.tb00395.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hillman L. S., Rojanasathit S., Slatopolsky E., Haddad J. G. Serial measurements of serum calcium, magnesium, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D in premature and term infants during the first week of life. Pediatr Res. 1977 Jun;11(6):739–744. doi: 10.1203/00006450-197706000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LUBCHENCO L. O., HANSMAN C., DRESSLER M., BOYD E. INTRAUTERINE GROWTH AS ESTIMATED FROM LIVEBORN BIRTH-WEIGHT DATA AT 24 TO 42 WEEKS OF GESTATION. Pediatrics. 1963 Nov;32:793–800. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Moya M., Doménech E. Calcium intake in the first five days of life in the low birthweight infant. Effects of calcium supplements. Arch Dis Child. 1978 Oct;53(10):784–787. doi: 10.1136/adc.53.10.784. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rösli A., Fanconi A. Neonatal hypocalcaemia. "Early type" in low birth weight newborns. Helv Paediatr Acta. 1973 Nov;28(5):443–457. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sann L., Chayvialle A. P., Bremond A., Lambert R. Serum gastrin level in early childhood. Arch Dis Child. 1975 Oct;50(10):782–785. doi: 10.1136/adc.50.10.782. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sizemore G. W., Go V. L., Kaplan E. L., Sanzenbacher L. J., Holtermuller K. H., Arnaud C. D. Relations of calcitonin and gastrin in the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. N Engl J Med. 1973 Mar 29;288(13):641–644. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197303292881301. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sutton A., Mole R. H., Barltrop D. Urinary and faecal excretion of marker calcium (46Ca) by low birthweight infants. Arch Dis Child. 1977 Jan;52(1):50–55. doi: 10.1136/adc.52.1.50. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tashijan A. H., Jr, Howland B. G., Melvin K. E., Hill C. S., Jr Immunoassay of human calcitonin. N Engl J Med. 1970 Oct 22;283(17):890–895. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197010222831702. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tashjian A. H., Jr Immunoassay of thyrocalcitonin. I. The method and its serological specificity. Endocrinology. 1969 Jan;84(1):140–148. doi: 10.1210/endo-84-1-140. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tsang R. C., Oh W. Neonatal hypocalcemia in low birth weight infants. Pediatrics. 1970 May;45(5):773–781. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Willis D. M., Chabot J., Radde I. C., Chance G. W. Unsuspected hyperosmolality of oral solutions contributing to necrotizing enterocolitis in very-low-birth-weight infants. Pediatrics. 1977 Oct;60(4):535–538. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Archives of Disease in Childhood are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES