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Caloric intake and weight gain in a neonatal intensive care unit

Patrícia Janeiro1, Manuel Cunha, António Marques

  • 1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Department of Paediatrics, Hospital Fernando Fonseca, IC 19. 2720-276 Amadora, Portugal. patricia.janeiro@gmail.com

European Journal of Pediatrics
|May 14, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Early and increased protein and lipid intake in very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants did not significantly improve weight z scores at discharge. While nutritional deficits were lower, growth outcomes remained similar between groups.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatology
  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Infant Growth

Background:

  • Very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants often experience suboptimal growth.
  • Optimizing early nutrition is crucial for improving outcomes in VLBW infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of earlier and higher protein and lipid intake on weight gain in VLBW infants.
  • To compare nutritional intake and growth parameters between two groups of VLBW infants with different feeding protocols.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study comparing two groups of VLBW infants (n=28 in group 1, n=18 in group 2).
  • Group 1 received lower protein/lipid intake starting later (postnatal day 2/3).
  • Group 2 received higher protein/lipid intake starting earlier (postnatal day 1).

Main Results:

  • Group 2 had significantly higher caloric intake (p < 0.05).
  • Group 1 exhibited a higher cumulative nutritional deficit (p <= 0.01).
  • Weight z scores at discharge were significantly lower than at birth for both groups (p <= 0.01), with no significant difference between groups.

Conclusions:

  • Earlier and higher protein and lipid administration in VLBW infants did not lead to improved weight z scores at discharge.
  • Despite reduced nutritional deficits, the applied feeding strategies did not significantly enhance growth outcomes in this cohort.

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