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  • Clinical Research Article
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Nonlinear relationship between vitamin D status on admission and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants

Pediatric Research volume 97, pages 2074–2081 (2025)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

This research will explore non-linear relationship between vitamin D status on admission and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants.

Methods

Data were retrospectively collected on preterm infants ≤32 weeks gestation and ≥28 weeks gestation hospitalized in our hospital between Jan. 2019 and Jul. 2022, which were classified into BPD and non-BPD groups according to BPD diagnostic criteria. Independent influences between the two groups were staged using comparison of differences between groups, univariate analysis, multivariate analysis, smoothed curve fitting, and threshold effect staging.

Results

255 preterm infants were enrolled in this research, including 135 males and 120 females, with a mean gestational age of 30.59 ± 0.86 weeks. Vitamin D status on admission was an independent protective factor for BPD in preterm infants, with a 6% reduction in the probability of BPD for every 1 ng/ml increase in vitamin D status on admission (p = 0.036). There was also a non-linear relationship, with each 1 ng/ml increase in vitamin D status on admission being associated with an 87% reduction in the incidence of BPD when vitamin D status was <12.82 ng/ml (p = 0.010).

Conclusion

Vitamin D status on admission and BPD are non-linearly in preterm infants at 28–32 weeks gestation.

Impact statement

  • Analyzing the relationship between vitamin D status on admission and BPD.

  • A nonlinear relationship and turning point between vitamin D status on admission and BPD was derived by curve fitting and threshold effect.

  • We provide a new reference point for vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of neonatal BPD and to avoid ineffective overmedication.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to human research ethics requirements but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the research personnel and the research volunteers involved with the project.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81801510, 82071693) and supported by Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2019JJ50930, 2021JJ31046).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China

    Shuo Wang, Mingjie Wang, Xiaohe Yu, Chuanding Cao, Ying Ding, Mei Lv, Yang Liu, Meiyan Chu, Keren Fang, Zhengchang Liao & Shaojie Yue

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  1. Shuo Wang
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Contributions

Shuo Wang: substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and interpretation of data; final approval of the version to be published. Mingjie Wang: substantial contributions to acquisition of data. Xiaohe Yu: substantial contributions to acquisition of data. Chuanding Cao: substantial contributions to acquisition of data. Ying Ding: substantial contributions to acquisition of data. Mei Lv: substantial contributions to acquisition of data. Yang Liu: substantial contributions to acquisition of data. Meiyan Chu: substantial contributions to acquisition of data. Keren Fang: substantial contributions to acquisition of data. Zhengchang Liao: substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and interpretation of data; final approval of the version to be published. Shaojie Yue: substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and interpretation of data; final approval of the version to be published.

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Correspondence to Zhengchang Liao or Shaojie Yue.

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Wang, S., Wang, M., Yu, X. et al. Nonlinear relationship between vitamin D status on admission and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants. Pediatr Res 97, 2074–2081 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03621-6

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