The body composition of 70 appropriate for gestational age newborn infants whose gestational age ranged from 32 to 41 weeks was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry during the first 48 h of life. The evolution of the bone mineral content, fat and lean mass was well correlated with gestational age (r = 0.66, r = 0.66 and r = 0.82, respectively) but even more closely with birthweight (r = 0.85, r = 0.91 and r = 0.97, respectively). The body composition of 20 symmetric small for gestational age infants (mean gestational age +/- SD = 38.1 +/- 1.2 weeks; mean birthweight +/- SD = 2117 +/- 183 g) was also studied. The total body fat, the lean mass and the bone mineral content of small for gestational age infants were decreased significantly in comparison with those of appropriate for gestational age infants with the same gestational age (p < or = 0.05, p < or = 0.0001 and p < or = 0.05) but was not significantly different from those observed in appropriate for gestational age infants of the same birthweight.

We conducted a pilot study to assess the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D among Iranian women and their newborns. Blood samples were taken from 50 mothers (age 16-40 yr) and their neonates at term delivery in the largest Tehran hospital. The results showed that 80% of the women had 25-hydroxyvitami n D (25-OHD) concentrations of less than 25 nmol/l. Mean maternal plasma calcium and phosphatase alkaline concentrations were in the normal range. The mean maternal serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone concentration of women with hypovitaminosis D (i.e., 25-OHD levels <25 nmol/l) was above normal range and signi cantly different from that of women without hypovitaminosis D. Conclusion:The mean cord serum 25-OHD concentration was very low (4.94 § 9.4 nmol/l) and that of infants of mother with hypovitaminosis D were almost undetectable (1.2 § 1.2 nmol/l).

The mean cord serum 25-OHD concentration was very low (4.94+/-9.4 nmol/l) and that of infants of mother with hypovitaminosis D were almost undetectable (1.2+/-1.2 nmol/l).