Korean J Pediatr.  2009 Oct;52(10):1140-1146. 10.3345/kjp.2009.52.10.1140.

Association of ionized magnesium, total magnesium, gestational age, and intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm babies

• Kim TY
• Lee HH
• Sung TJ

• KMID: 2281053
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3345/kjp.2009.52.10.1140

Abstract

PURPOSE
The pathophysiology of magnesium, the second highest common compound in humans, is still unclear, especially in preterm babies. We accessed the association between total magnesium (tMg), ionized Mg (iMg), and gestational age (GA) and that between serum magnesium (sMg) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in preterm babies.
METHODS
In all, 119 inborn preterm infants admitted between July 2006 and February 2008 were divided into the IVH group (19) and the control group (100) and were prospectively analyzed. TMg, iMg, pH, total calcium (tCa), and ionized Ca (iCa) levels were determined immediately after delivery or within 3 hours after birth, and their correlation with GA were investigated.
RESULTS
TMg was not correlated with GA, tCa, iCa, and pH. IMg was correlated with tMg (r=0.288, P=0.002) and iCa (r=0.212, P=0.021); however, it was not correlated with GA and pH. Mean GA and birth weight were significantly lower (P=0.002) and smaller (P=0.030) in the IVH group. Mean sMg was higher in the IVH group (2.5+/-0.9 mg/dL) than in the control group (2.1+/-0.6 mg/dL) (P=0.021). SMg was a risk factor even after logistic regression analysis (OR, 2.798; 95% C.I., 1.265-6.192; P=0.011).
CONCLUSION
In less than 37-week-old preterm babies, tMg and iMg were similar, regardless of GA. High sMg may be a risk factor for IVH in premature babies, regardless of their exposure to antenatal magnesium.

Keyword

Magnesium; Ionized magnesium; Gestational age; Intraventricular hemorrhage

MeSH Terms

Birth Weight
Calcium
Gestational Age
Hemorrhage
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Logistic Models
Magnesium
Parturition
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
Calcium
Magnesium