The Association Between Vitamin A Levels and Nosocomial Infections in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Retrospective Study
| Author | Bei Zhou | en |
| Author | Mengling Tang | en |
| Author | Haifeng Li | en |
| Author | Xi Chen | en |
| Author | Yueping Che | en |
| Author | Jialu Xu | en |
| Orcid | Haifeng Li [0000-0002-3972-5573] | en |
| Issued Date | 2026-08-31 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Hospitalized children with cerebral palsy are at markedly increased risk of nosocomial infections, which can compromise the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts and prolong treatment duration. Objectives: This study aimed to identify potential risk factors for nosocomial infections in hospitalized children with spastic cerebral palsy and to assess their associations with infection incidence. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted among patients younger than 12 years who were diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy at a single hospital between January 2023 and December 2023. Data collected for analysis included demographic characteristics (sex, age, and weight at admission), gestational age, birth weight, spastic cerebral palsy subtype, gross motor function, magnetic resonance imaging findings, fat-soluble vitamin levels, and biochemical blood indicators. Results: The study included 72 hospitalized patients, of whom 31 developed nosocomial infections and 41 did not. Compared with the noninfected group, the infected group had a longer hospital stay (P = 0.039), a higher proportion of male patients (P = 0.082), higher vitamin A levels (P = 0.027), and lower vitamin D levels (P = 0.081). However, no significant differences were identified in age (P = 0.169), weight-for-age (P = 0.452), gestational age (P = 0.237), birth weight (P = 0.439), spastic cerebral palsy subtype (P = 0.647), gross motor function (P = 0.336), or magnetic resonance imaging findings (P = 0.772). Similarly, no significant differences were observed in nutritional status or biochemical markers, including vitamin E (P = 0.387), serum calcium (P = 0.408), phosphorus (P = 0.488), magnesium (P = 0.628), triglycerides (P = 0.842), cholesterol (P = 0.991), prealbumin (P = 0.286), and ferritin (P = 0.997). Subsequent stepwise logistic regression showed that vitamin A was independently associated with the incidence of infection. Conclusions: These findings suggest a positive correlation between vitamin A levels and nosocomial infections in children with spastic cerebral palsy. However, given the observational design of this study, causality cannot be inferred. Further research is needed to investigate the potential mechanisms linking vitamin A status with infection risk. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/ijpediatr-166658 | en |
| URI | https://brieflands.com/journals/ijp/articles/166658 | en |
| Keyword | Cerebral Palsy | en |
| Keyword | Child | en |
| Keyword | Cross Infection | en |
| Keyword | Vitamin A | en |
| Keyword | Retrospective Studies | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | The Association Between Vitamin A Levels and Nosocomial Infections in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Retrospective Study | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
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