[Cu deficiency as a cause of spontaneous fracture in a premature infant].

We report on a male preterm infant of 25th week of gestation, who developed a spontaneous fracture of the right femur at an age of four months. Besides an "impressed" fracture radiologically a generalized osteopenia of the skeleton and cupped metaphysis alterations were observed. An alimentary copper deficiency could be diagnosed. Additionally clinical signs were repeated apneic episodes, anaemia, neutropenia and a low serum level of both coeruloplasmin and copper. We substituted the patient orally with CuCl2 (1.2 mumol/kg/KG/d) over a period of four months resulting in a complete healing of the fracture and an improvement of the other clinical symptoms and laboratory alterations.