Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration Status and Neonatal Immune Function: New Perspectives in Anticipating Late Onset Sepsis among Preterm Neonates at Tertiary Care Centres (A Prospective Study)

Authors

  • Mohammed Younis Mohammed Elbehery Pediatric and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Naguib Abdellatif Abdelfattah Abdellatif Pediatric and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Mohamed Abdelsalam Mohamed Ahmed Pediatric and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Hashem Abdelsabor Hashem Abdelgaeid Pediatric and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Khaled Mosbah Abdelaziz Pediatric and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Ali Elsayed Ali Elagamy Pediatric and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Mahmoud Mohamed Abdelnaby Ghallab Pediatric and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Mohamed Saber Mahmoud Pediatric and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Ismail Abd Elfattah M. Hassan Pediatric and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Ahmed Abdelsamie Abdelsamie Fadl Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls. Al-Azhar university, Cairo, Egypt
  • Asmaa Elsaudi Abdelgawad Nasr Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls. Al-Azhar university, Cairo, Egypt
  • Eman El Sayed Mohammed Abo El Ela Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls. Al-Azhar university, Cairo, Egypt
  • Soma Abdallah Mohamed Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls. Al-Azhar university, Cairo, Egypt
  • Eatemad Nabil Abdelhalim Mansour Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls. Al-Azhar university, Cairo, Egypt
  • Abdelsalam Fathy Abdelsalam Mohammad Clinical Pathology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt
  • Mostafa Abd Elazeem Hassan Ahamed Pediatrics and Neonatology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Assiut, Egypt
  • Mohamed Abdel Basit Ibrahim Mohamed Microbiology and Immunology Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University Assiut, Egypt
  • Mohamed Ahmed Bashir Clinical Pathology Department Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University Assiut, Egypt
  • Abbas Elbakry A. Elsayed Pediatric Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
  • Ahmed Mohammed Farid EL-Moazen Pediatric Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
  • Ismail Abdelrazik Kassem Mahmoud Pediatric Department Faculty of Medicine for Boys, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
  • Fatima G. Yehia Clinical Pathology Department Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4247.2025.14.03.9

Keywords:

25-hydroxyvitamin D, late-onset sepsis, preterm neonates

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of low vitamin D levels in cord blood on the incidence of neonatal sepsis in preterm infants.

Patients and Methods: This prospective study was conducted at Al-Azhar and Helwan University Hospitals from September 2024 to January 2025. 150 neonate premature infants with a gestational age of <37 weeks were enrolled. In the present study, vitamin D deficiency (group 1, n=75) was defined as a 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration <15 ng/mL; and vitamin D sufficiency (group 2, n =75), 25(OH)D concentration ≥15 ng/mL.

Results: All markers were higher in Group 1 compared to the other groups (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the mean Del PCT was lower in group 2 compared to different groups. The cut-off of the umbilical cord CRP was 10.5 mg/L, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 41, 88.0, 29 and 28%, respectively. At a PCT cut-off of 1.18 ng/mL, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 79, 91, 51 and 61%, respectively

Conclusion: Our study is one of the few that examines the relationship between neonatal sepsis in preterm newborns and the level of vitamin D in cord blood. Based on the findings of our investigation, we concluded that neonatal sepsis in preterm newborns is not related to vitamin D levels in the cord blood. To investigate these findings further, a larger patient sample or randomized controlled trials are required.

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Published

2025-08-01

How to Cite

Mohammed Elbehery, M. Y. ., Abdelfattah Abdellatif, N. A. ., Mohamed Ahmed, M. A. ., Hashem Abdelgaeid, H. A. ., Abdelaziz, K. M. ., Ali Elagamy, A. E. ., Abdelnaby Ghallab, M. M. ., Mahmoud, M. S. ., Elfattah M. Hassan, I. A. ., Abdelsamie Fadl, A. A. ., Abdelgawad Nasr, A. E. ., Mohammed Abo El Ela, E. E. S. ., Mohamed, S. A. ., Abdelhalim Mansour, E. N. ., Abdelsalam Mohammad, A. F. ., Hassan Ahamed, M. A. E. ., Ibrahim Mohamed, M. A. B. ., Bashir, M. A. ., A. Elsayed, A. E. ., Farid EL-Moazen, A. M. ., Kassem Mahmoud, I. A. ., & Yehia, F. G. . (2025). Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration Status and Neonatal Immune Function: New Perspectives in Anticipating Late Onset Sepsis among Preterm Neonates at Tertiary Care Centres (A Prospective Study). International Journal of Child Health and Nutrition, 14(3), 285–291. https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4247.2025.14.03.9

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Section

General Articles