Problems and achievements in the study of metabolic bone disease in young children (literature review)

In recent years, intensive research on bone metabolism in early childhood has led to significant progress in understanding and characterizing disorders affecting skeletal formation. The role of vitamin D3 in improving maternal health and reducing the risk of developmental disorders in the fetus, newborn, and especially premature born infants, is an important area of research today. Therefore, understanding new pathophysiological aspects of bone formation can help optimize the diagnosis and prevention of bone metabolism disorders. Aim. The aim of this work is to systematize and analyze scientific research data, to reveal pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to the development of metabolic bone diseases in premature infants, and to search innovative approaches to diagnosis and prevention of these disorders. Materials and methods. The study involved reviewing and analyzing domestic and foreign literature sources using the PubMed and Scopus databases for the period 2019–2024. The literature was searched and selected using the keywords: newborns, preterm infants, neonatal osteopenia, metabolic bone disease, and ultrasound densitometry. Full-text articles from studies with evidence levels I–II were included to this review in order to systematize and summarize the findings. Metabolic bone disease (neonatal osteopenia) presents a significant medical challenge in the care of preterm infants, especially those born with very low birth weight and sick neonates. The current requirements of the medical community are aimed to maximize bone density during growth periods, starting from the intrauterine and neonatal stages, to promote the formation and preservation of bone tissue in later life. Conclusions. The safest and most universal screening method for assessing bone mineral density in preterm infants is quantitative ultrasound. It is expected that over the next decade, many fundamental studies will form the basis for the development of unified guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of metabolic bone disease to improve the quality of life of children with bone metabolism disorders.