Acquired bone disease in small preterm infants--a potentially fatal disorder.

BETTER neonatal care has improved survival of infants less than 1.0 kg birth weight (Stewart et al, 1977). One of the challenges in managing very low birth weight (VLBW) babies is that of providing optimal nutrition (Shaw, 1973), given the constraints upon absorption (Grand, Watkins and Torti, 1976) and subsequent metabolism (Rosenberg and Scriver, 1974). Our aim is to highlight the development of bone disease in these infants, despite prophylaxis with vitamins, including Vitamin D and other essential trace 'elements.