All issues > Volume 38(9); 1995

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1995;38(9):1185-1192. Published online September 15, 1995.

Riboflavin Status of Normal Newborn Infants and the Changes of Riboflavin During Phototherapy in Hyperbilirubinemic Newborn Newborn Infants

Eun Ae EA Park¹, Gyoung Hee GH Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: Riboflavin is the most important water soluble vitamin in infant nutrition. Riboflavin is converts to flavin mononucleotide (FMN), Flavin adenine dinucleotide(FAD) and then, participiates in the metabolism of energy, protein cellular oxidation-reduction reactions as a cofactor of reactions. Also riboflavin, a light sensitive vitamin, has a maximum absorption spectrum at a wave length similar to that at which the degradation of bilirubin occurs. Phototherapy is widely used for the management of mild to moderate hyperbilirubinemia in the neonate. Some in vivo studies have suggested that riboflavin insuffiency may also develop in hyperbilirubinemic neonates exposed to phototherapy. The changes of riboflavin status according to the gestational age, birth weight, or sex, and the effects of phototherapy on the riboflavin status in the hyperbirirubinemic newborn infants was studied.
Methods
: Biochemical riboflavin status was measured in 229 newborn infants cord blood at birth. We investigated erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficiency (EGRAC) by modified Beutler Method. In addition, we studied the changes of riboflavin status in hyperbilirubinemic fullterm infants during phototherapy.
Results
: The following results were obtained 1) Cord blood EGRAC was decreased by gestational age untill 40 weeks of gestation, after then increased. 2) Cord blood EGRAC did not differ by birth weight, sex, or between small for gestational age(SGA) and appropriate for gestational age(AGA) and large for gestational age(LGA). 3) Inspite of slight decrease of EGRAC during first day of phototherapy, the changes of EGRAC by phototherapy was different.
Conclusion
: The relation between riboflavin status and birth weight, sex, weight percentile, or prematurity has no statistical significance except for gestational age. In hyperbilirubinemic infants, who were fed with commercial infant formula containing 0.6mg of riboflavin, the riboflavin status of normal newborn infants was not changed during phototherapy. So no additional riboflavin was required in the commercial infant formula feeding normal infants during phototherapy.

Keywords :Riboflavin status, Newborn, Hyperbilirubinemic infants, Phototherapy