[The fat ration for the premature infant]

Area of Science:

• Neonatal nutrition
• Pediatric gastroenterology
• Infant development

Background:

• Premature infants have specific nutritional needs for optimal growth.
• Understanding the impact of dietary fat on infant development is crucial.
• Isocaloric diets allow for focused study of macronutrient effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of varying quantitative and qualitative fat dietary intake on premature infants.
• To assess the impact of fat intake on somatic development (weight, height, cranial circumference).
• To analyze the relationship between dietary fat and plasma lipid levels, including total lipids, cholesterol, and HDL.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial involving 3 groups of premature infants.
• Administration of isocaloric energetic diets with controlled fat intake levels (3-6.4 g/kg b.w./24 hours).
• Monitoring of somatic development parameters and plasma levels of total lipids, cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

Main Results:

• Dietary fat intake of 3-6.4 g/kg b.w./24 hours supported satisfactory somatic development.
• Fat intake levels of 5.6-6.4 g/kg b.w./24 hours facilitated body fat deposition.
• Plasma total lipid and cholesterol levels correlated with dietary fat intake.
• Supplementation with linoleic acid reduced plasma cholesterol and increased HDL levels.

Conclusions:

• Optimal fat intake ranges are identified for satisfactory somatic development in premature infants.
• Specific fat intake levels influence energy utilization for protein synthesis versus body fat accumulation.
• Dietary fat composition, particularly linoleic acid, significantly impacts infant lipid profiles.