{"id":1334,"date":"2019-08-01T10:32:21","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T10:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seleniumfacts.com\/?p=1334"},"modified":"2019-07-31T04:51:43","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T04:51:43","slug":"selenium-supplementation-premature-neonates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seleniumfacts.com\/index.php\/selenium-supplementation-premature-neonates","title":{"rendered":"Selenium Supplementation for Premature Neonates"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Preterm neonates are babies born more than three weeks before the normal term, i.e. born before the 37th week of gestation. Sepsis – the condition caused by harmful bacteria entering the blood circulation – is one of the complications associated with premature birth. Selenium supplementation can reduce the risk of late-onset sepsis in preterm neonates.
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Selenium supplementation reduces the risk of sepsis in premature babies.<\/em> <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Three studies carried out in low-selenium countries \u2013 Australia, New Zealand, and India \u2013 have shown a positive effect of selenium supplementation in reducing the incidence of sepsis in premature babies [Daniels; Darlow; Aggarwal].<\/strong><\/p>\n

Selenium supplementation \u2013 both selenium fed orally and selenium fed parenterally \u2013 significantly improved the selenium status of premature babies and reduced the incidence of \u201clate onset\u201d sepsis [Darlow].<\/strong><\/p>\n

In none of the three clinical studies were there any adverse reactions to the selenium supplementation [Daniels; Darlow; Aggarwal].<\/strong><\/p>\n

Increased Risk of Sepsis in Premature Babies Without Selenium Supplementation<\/h4>\n

\u201cLate onset\u201d sepsis presents, typically, one week or more following birth and is caused by exposure to infection in the hospital.\u00a0 A \u201clate onset\u201d sepsis occurs in about one out of five premature babies with a birth weight below 1500 grams (about 3 pounds and five ounces).<\/p>\n

By contrast, \u201cearly onset\u201d sepsis presents within the first seven days of birth and is usually caused by exposure to infectious microorganisms during the period from the beginning of labor through the delivery of the placenta.<\/p>\n

Premature babies<\/em><\/strong><\/a> born as early as the 22nd week of pregnancy have a 58% chance of contracting sepsis while premature babies born in the 28th week of pregnancy have a 20% risk of sepsis [Camacho-Gonzalez].<\/p>\n

The normal length of human gestation about 40 weeks, measured from the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period.<\/p>\n

Decline in Infants\u2019 Selenium Status Following Birth is Common<\/h4>\n

A common development in the weeks following birth is a significant fall in the serum selenium<\/em><\/strong><\/a> concentration of babies, both pre-term babies and babies carried to term [Muntau].<\/p>\n

The difference is that premature babies weighing less than 1500 grams (about three pounds and five ounces) are born with much lower serum selenium concentrations to begin with.<\/p>\n

Consequently, when the premature babies\u2019 serum selenium levels <\/a><\/em><\/strong>begin to fall in the weeks after birth, they fall to dangerously low levels [Daniels]. Accordingly, premature babies have a high risk of selenium deficiency in the weeks following birth and, at the same time, a high risk of sepsis.<\/p>\n

Importance of the Micronutrient Selenium<\/h4>\n

Selenium in the diet is essential in small amounts.\u00a0 It carries out its many biological functions as a component of 25 selenoproteins.\u00a0 Among the most important of these selenoproteins are the glutathione peroxidases, the thioredoxin reductases, the iodothyronine deiodinases, and the selenoprotein P.<\/p>\n

Selenium and selenoproteins play an important role in the following biological functions:<\/p>\n