A premature infant is a baby born before 37 weeks of gestation.
Rickets is a
bone disease characterized by growth retardation due to the expansion of the hypertrophic chondrocyte layer of the growth plate and a failure to mineralize bone. Consequently, the bone is soft and permits marked bending and distortion. Although the incidence of
rickets in preterm infants is lower due to improvements in health care and nutrition, there are still infants at high risk for this disease. However, few reports are available regarding the treatment of
rickets in premature infants. Furthermore, published case studies on experiences with using
calcitriol as a potential therapeutic for
rickets in premature infants are very rare. Herein, we describe the detection of
rickets in premature infants and our experience with
calcitriol treatment in two premature infants. We recommended the use of oral
calcitriol at a dose of 0.03-0.125 μg/kg/day, in addition to an appropriate formula that provides an adequate amount of
calcium and
phosphate intake. One patient was prescribed
calcitriol for 40 days and the other for 37 days. The two infants gradually recovered and were discharged without any obvious side effects. It is recommended that
alkaline phosphatase levels be monitored within 1 month after birth in premature infants with a
birth weight of <1000 g. Infants presenting with high
alkaline phosphatase levels are candidates for a long bone survey.