VITAMINS AND TRACE-ELEMENTS IN NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT

With the greater use of nutritional support, both in the hospital and at home, the importance and role of multiple vitamins and trace elements are being more fully defined. This definition continued to take place during the past year in the literature, including reports of vitamin adequacy in enteral and.parenteral feedings, newly reported cases of trace mineral deficiency, and, at the opposite end of the spectrum, toxicity of trace elements. The role of carnitine as an essential element of neonatal physiology has been investigated in the use of long-term parenteral nutrition in this population. Last, with the development of more specific assays for vitamins and trace elements, we are now able to investigate the possible contamination of parenteral nutrient solutions by various trace minerals. Research in this area continues to focus primarily on the parenteral administration of vitamins and trace elements, because far less is known about parenteral feeding fortification and nutrient utilization than standard enteral feedings, which take advantage of normal intestinal digestion and absorption.