Resonance Raman based skin carotenoid measurements in newborns and infants

摘要

We describe Resonance Raman based skin carotenoid measurements in newborns and infants. Skin- and serum carotenoid levels correlate with high statistical significance in healthy newborns and infants, and with reduced accuracy also in prematurely born infants, who in general feature very low carotenoid levels and thin transparent skin giving rise to large background absorption effects. Skin carotenoid levels can be easily compared among subjects and/or tracked in longitudinal studies with the highly molecule-specific Raman method. It therefore holds promise as a rapid, non-invasive, carotenoid antioxidant assessment method for newborns and infants in the field of pediatrics.Photograph of an infant’s skin carotenoid measurement via Resonance Raman spectroscopy. The instrument’s fiber-coupled light delivery and collection module is held against the foot, exposing the heel skin to weak 488 nm laser light for 20 seconds. From spectral analysis of the Raman scattered light intensities, which occur in the green wavelength region, the carotenoid levels in the heel skin are obtained in a rapid, non-invasive, and painless fashion.