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Carbohydrate supplementation of human milk to promote growth in preterm infants

C A Kuschel1, J E Harding

  • 1Newborn Services, National Women's Hospital, Private Bag 92 189, Auckland, New Zealand. CarlK@ahsl.co.nz

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|May 5, 2000
PubMed

Insights

No studies evaluated carbohydrate supplements alone for preterm infant growth. Further research is needed on multicomponent fortifiers for optimal infant development.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition
  • Pediatric research

Background:

  • Preterm infants require specialized nutrition for optimal growth and development.
  • Human milk is the preferred nutrition source, but may require supplementation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess if carbohydrate supplementation in human milk improves growth and neurodevelopment in preterm infants.
  • To identify any adverse effects associated with carbohydrate supplementation.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was conducted using standard neonatal review group strategies.
  • Included randomized or quasi-random trials of carbohydrate-supplemented human milk in preterm infants.

Main Results:

  • No eligible trials were identified that met the inclusion criteria.
  • The absence of studies means no direct evidence exists for carbohydrate supplementation's effects.

Conclusions:

  • Currently, no research specifically evaluates carbohydrate supplementation alone for improving preterm infant growth and neurodevelopment.
  • Recommendations for practice cannot be made; future research should focus on multicomponent fortifiers.
Abstract

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