Early Vitamin A Supplementation for Prevention of Short-Term Morbidity and Mortality in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Yanxiu Ye; Xiaoyan Yang; Jing Zhao; Jianghua He; Xiaoming Xu; Jiao Li; Jing Shi; Dezhi Mu

doi:10.3389/fped.2022.788409

Early Vitamin A Supplementation for Prevention of Short-Term Morbidity and Mortality in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Front Pediatr. 2022 Apr 7:10:788409. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.788409. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yanxiu Ye^{1

2}, Xiaoyan Yang^{1

2}, Jing Zhao^{1

2}, Jianghua He¹, Xiaoming Xu¹, Jiao Li¹, Jing Shi¹, Dezhi Mu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
² Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Abstract

Background: Vitamin A plays an important role in the development and maintenance of the normal function of organs and systems. Premature infants have low levels of vitamin A, which may be associated with an increased risk of developing disease. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin A supplementation on short-term morbidity and mortality in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants.

Methods: We used PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science to conduct a literature search of studies published before January 1, 2022, to be included in our meta-analysis. The analysis included randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of vitamin A supplementation on VLBW infants (birth weight <1,500 g) and controls given a placebo or no treatment. The certainty of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines.

Results: Twelve randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis, and 2,111 infants were pooled and analyzed. The overall risk of bias was not serious in the included studies. Vitamin A supplementation for reducing the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age seems to be limited [risk ratio (RR):0.85; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.70-1.04; 8 studies, 1,595 infants, very-low-certainty evidence], which is different from the previous systematic review. Length of hospital stay (mean difference: -12.67, 95% CI: -23.55 to -1.79; 6 studies, 739 infants, low-certainty evidence), and the incidence of vitamin A deficiency at 28 days postnatal age (RR: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.02-0.38; 3 studies, 358 infants, low-certainty evidence) were reduced in the vitamin A group. Besides, vitamin A supplementation seems to reduce the incidence of periventricular leukomalacia (RR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47-0.97; 4 studies, 1,224 infants, low-certainty evidence) and retinopathy of prematurity of any grade (RR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.48-0.76; 4 studies, 463 infants, moderate-certainty evidence).

Conclusions: There is no sufficient evidence regarding vitamin A supplementation preventing BPD in VLBW infants. Vitamin A supplementation can reduce the incidence of vitamin A deficiency and retinopathy of prematurity of any grade, and may exert an effect of preventing periventricular leukomalacia.

Systematic review registration: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42020211070.

Keywords: bronchopulmonary dysplasia; meta-analysis; mortality; very-low-birth-weight; vitamin A.

Publication types

Systematic Review