Effect of Vitamin D in Diets of Preterm Infants

An Evaluation of the Effects of Two Levels of Vitamin D in Infants Fed Preterm or Transitional Formula on Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Bone Status in Preterm Infants: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

Transitional formulas (22 kcal/oz) are recommended for infants less than 35 weeks gestation at birth. However, few data are available related to follow-up of infants receiving these formulas who were 28-34 weeks gestation at birth.

Primary hypothesis: Provision of supplemental vitamin D to a transitional formula will lead to higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels and no infant with a serum 25-OHD less than 20 ng/mL when assessed at approximately 52 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Premature Infants
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Vitamin D; Dietary supplement: Placebo

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 39
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
      • Baylor College of Medicine / Texas Children's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Born at 28 0/7 to 34 6/7 weeks PMA and 1000-2250 g birth weight.
• Currently 34 0/7 to 38 6/7 weeks post-menstrual age at time of consent.
• Born at Texas Children's (including Pavilion for Women) or Methodist campus hospitals or transferred within 48 hours of birth.
• Care expected to be provided at one of these institutions until discharge home.
• Any initial feeding will be permitted, but expected to transition to primarily (80% of feeds or up to 2 breast milk feeds per day) infant formula by 38 6/7 weeks PMA or hospital discharge, whichever comes first.
• Able to tolerate 22 kcal/oz transitional formula and receive a volume of at least 130 mL/kg/day total feeding volume.
• No longer receiving any form of mechanical ventilation or diuretics. Low flow nasal cannula (< ¼ LPM) will be permitted if it is anticipated this will be discontinued before hospital discharge.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) requiring daily use of diuretics beyond 38 6/7 weeks PMA (or hospital discharge, whichever comes first) and > 22 kcal/oz concentration formula beyond 38 6/7 weeks PMA.
• Major congenital anomalies, history of proven Stage 2 or above NEC, or severe feeding intolerance.
• Caloric density greater than 22 kcal/oz.
• Higher order multiples (However, twins are acceptable. Twins will be randomized together. Only data from 1 twin picked at random will be used in the final analyses.)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Investigational Nutrition; Starting between post menstrual age (PMA) 34 0/7 to 38 6/7 weeks, infants in the Investigational Nutrition group will receive vitamin D drops that are added to transitional formula daily through hospital discharge and at home until the outpatient follow-up visit at 52 weeks PMA.	Dietary supplement: Vitamin D
Placebo Comparator: Routine Nutrition; Starting between post menstrual age (PMA) 34 0/7 to 38 6/7 weeks, infants in the Routine Nutrition group will receive placebo drops that are added to transitional formula daily through hospital discharge and at home until the outpatient follow-up visit at 52 weeks PMA.	Dietary supplement: Placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Change from Baseline in Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) level at 52 weeks post-menstrual age	Last 7 days of hospitalization and at 52 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Change from Baseline in Alkaline phosphatase activity at 52 weeks post-menstrual age	Last 7 days of hospitalization and at 52 weeks PMA

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Baylor College of Medicine
• Collaborators: Mead Johnson Nutrition; The Children's Nutrition Research Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Amy h, MD, Baylor College of Medicine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 30, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): July 30, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 24, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 1, 2012
• First Posted (Estimated): October 3, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 29, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 27, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Vitamin D; Transitional Formula
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Obstetric Labor, Premature; Obstetric Labor Complications; Pregnancy Complications; Premature Birth; Polycyclic Compounds; Steroids; Fused-Ring Compounds; Secosteroids; Vitamin D
• Other Study ID Numbers: H-31433