[Enteral nutrition in the preterm and term newborn with low birth weight]

Nutritioinal practices vary dramatically among neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in other countries. In many hospitals, nutrition is introduced gradually over the first weeks of life because the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis or nutrient intolerance is considered inevitable. Enteral nutrition practices among premature and near term infants with low birth weight were investigated. We hypothetized these practices would be very different among facilities and among staff at these same facilities.

We carried out a survey in public and private neonatal care units in urban and peri-urban areas of Mexico City. An adapted version of the Vermont-Oxford Neonatal Network was administered. We included 290 questions on practices, initiation, progression, methods, type and cessation of feedings. We also included milk feeds supplementation and written protocols.

116 surveys were administered in seventeen second and tertiary care facilities to 86 neonatologists and 30 neonatology residents.

We found great variability in progression, methods, type, suspension and supplementation among NICU and among staff There is an urgent need to standardize nutritional criteria among physicians and medical facilities.