Role of Vitamin-D Deficiency in Term Neonates with Late-Onset Sepsis: A Case-Control Study

Objective: To find the relationship between vitamin-D levels and late-onset sepsis (LOS) in term neonates. Methods: This case-control study was conducted in neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care teaching institution in central India. Full-term neonates with culture-proven LOS were taken as cases. Maternal and neonatal demography, clinical examination and investigations were recorded. Correlation of vitamin-D deficiency (<20 ng/ml) with LOS was assessed. Results: Total 225 term neonates including 175 cases and 50 controls were included. Maternal and neonatal demographic profile was comparable. The mean vitamin-D level in cases (12.28 +/- 6.11 ng/ml) was significantly lower than that in controls (14.88 +/- 7.2 ng/ml) (p = 0.002). Total 151 (86.29%) neonates out of 175 cases and 37 (74%) out of 50 controls had the vitamin-D deficiency (p = 0.00003). On multiple regression analysis, neonatal sepsis (p = 0.00003) was found to be significantly associated with vitamin-D deficiency. Conclusion: This study shows that vitamin-D deficiency in term neonates may predispose them to LOS.