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Nutrition of preterm infants after discharge

Richard Cooke1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. richardjcooke@mac.com

Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism
|June 25, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Most very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWI) are undernourished upon hospital discharge. This highlights critical challenges in providing adequate nutritional support for optimal growth and development in preterm infants after they leave the hospital.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatology
  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Growth and Development

Background:

  • Optimal nutritional support is crucial for preterm infants' growth and development.
  • Many very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWI) experience undernutrition and undergrowth upon hospital discharge.
  • Post-discharge nutritional care is particularly vital for breast-fed VLBWI.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To underscore the importance of meeting nutritional needs in preterm infants.
  • To identify challenges in achieving optimal growth and development for VLBWI.
  • To emphasize the implications for post-discharge nutritional strategies.

Main Methods:

  • This study is a review of fundamental principles in infant nutrition.
  • It analyzes the common nutritional status of VLBWI at discharge.
  • It discusses the implications for ongoing nutritional care.

Main Results:

  • The principle of matching nutritional intake to needs is fundamental for optimal outcomes.
  • A significant proportion of VLBWI are undernourished and under-grown at hospital discharge.
  • These findings have direct consequences for the nutritional management of these vulnerable infants.

Conclusions:

  • Ensuring adequate nutritional intake is paramount for preterm infant well-being.
  • Current practices result in suboptimal nutritional status for many VLBWI post-discharge.
  • Effective post-discharge nutritional strategies are essential, especially for breast-fed infants.

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