Assessing skeletal mineralization in preterm infants: Insights from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and their limitations

Metabolic bone disease of prematurity remains a significant challenge in neonatal medicine.Infants born prematurely are deprived of the rapid mineral accretion that occurs during the third trimester, when approximately 80% of fetal calcium and phosphorus deposition takes place.Consequently, preterm infants frequently exhibit reduced bone mineral content (BMC), impaired skeletal mineralization, and an increased risk of fractures. [1]In this context, the study by Singh et al. provides an important insight into the clinical and nutritional determinants of early skeletal mineralization, while highlighting both the utility and limitations of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in neonatal research.