548 



THE TOCOPHEROLS 



natal life there is a gradual decline in serum tocopherols until they reach 

 levels comparable to those which in the experimental animal are associated 

 with manifestations of vitamin E deficiency (Fig. 7). It seems, therefore, 

 that the bottle-fed premature infant, denied the benefit of placental trans- 

 fer of vitamin E during the latter phases of gestation, physiologically 

 handicapped from the standpoint of suckling and other postnatal adapta- 

 tions, and usually reared on a low-fat formula (because of poor tolerance 

 for fats) rarely providing more than one-fourth to one-fifth the tocopherol 

 present in breast milk, represents the nearest approach to a natural avita- 

 minosis E in man. It still remains to be determined whether the low-E 

 status of the premature or full-term newborn is etiologically related to any 



&5 



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 o 



^ . 

 lij20* 



X c 

 Q. 



01.5 



o 





^05. 



Ll) ' 

 CO 



O.Q 



NGN NURSING MOTHERS 

 lo' 



I 



BOTTLE-FED INFANTS 



4 6 1-4 &6 



DAYS MONTHS 



Fig. 6. Mean serum tocopherol levels for bottle-fed and breast-fed full 

 infants, and their mothers, during the first postpartum week and at periods of 

 and 5 to 8 months postpartum (from Wright et al.^^^). 



-term 

 1 to 4 



specific disorders or dysadaptations of the young infant, and also whether 

 the maintenance of abnormally low levels of serum tocopherol in prema- 

 tures for a considerable period of time before the institution of a mixed 

 diet has any harmful influence upon the subsequent health of the infant. 

 A few clinical states which have been explored from this general standpoint 

 justify comment, even though the results are equivocal. 



h. Retrolental Fibroplasia 



In view of what has been said regarding the tocopherol status of the 

 fetus and the newborn infant, it is natural that considerable attention has 

 been given to the possible implication of an inadequacy of vitamin E in 

 the etiology of retrolental fibroplasia. ^''^■^^^ This disorder is characterized by 



"* Retrolental Fibroplasia, Ret. 2nd M & R Pediat. Research Con}., Cohimbus (1951). 

 i"W. C. Owens and E. U. Owens, Avi. J. Ophthalmol. 32, 1631 (1949). 



