An easy to implement, fully light-shielded delivery system for parenteral nutrition needs to be developed to reduce mortality rates in premature infants.
![Blocking Light can Increase Survival of Premature Babies Blocking Light can Increase Survival of Premature Babies](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/baby-7.jpg)
Exposing this type of food preparation to light generates oxidants which the premature infant's immature defenses can not fight.
"An easy to implement, fully light-shielded delivery system for parenteral nutrition needs to be developed to reduce mortality rates in premature infants," said study's lead author Jean-Claude Lavoie from CHU Sainte-Justine, Canada.
Parenteral nutrition is essential to the survival of babies born preterm because it provides them with vital nutrients like proteins, fat and glucose, and enables them to develop just as fetuses of their age would do in their mother's womb.
"The photo-excited vitamins B2 and 'electron donors' such as vitamin C, amino acids and lipids all interact in the multivitamin solution and generate oxidants," the researcher said.
"This creates an oxidative stress which kills newborn cells. Studies show that shielding parenteral nutrition from light significantly decreases such an interaction," he added.
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"Partial photo-protection is ineffective in preventing oxidant generation," Thibault said.
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The study was published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
Source-IANS