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The Impact of Neonatal Illness on Nutritional Requirements-One Size Does Not Fit All

Sara E Ramel1, Laura D Brown2, Michael K Georgieff3

  • 1Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, 2450 Riverside Avenue; MB630 East Building, Minneapolis, MN 55454, Ph: 612-626-0644;

Current Pediatrics Reports
|February 28, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Sick newborns face growth failure due to illness-induced metabolic changes and feeding difficulties. Understanding these complex nutritional needs is vital for improving outcomes in critically ill infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal intensive care
  • Pediatric critical care
  • Infant nutrition

Background:

  • Sick neonates are prone to growth failure and impaired neurodevelopment compared to healthy infants.
  • Postnatal growth failure in sick infants stems from multifactorial causes, including feeding challenges and physiological instability.
  • Illness triggers cellular metabolic shifts, altering nutritional demands and nutrient processing in newborns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the complex interplay between illness, inflammation, stress, and altered metabolism in sick neonates.
  • To highlight how these factors contribute to a catabolic state detrimental to growth and development.
  • To underscore the unique nutritional requirements of critically ill infants compared to healthy ones.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on neonatal critical illness and growth failure.
  • Analysis of metabolic alterations induced by inflammation and physiological stress in sick infants.
  • Examination of nutritional challenges in conditions like sepsis, surgery, and intrauterine growth restriction.

Main Results:

  • Inflammatory and stress responses, while crucial for short-term survival, impede long-term growth and development.
  • Critically ill newborns exhibit altered energy, protein, and micronutrient metabolism.
  • Nutritional requirements in sick neonates differ significantly from those of healthy term or preterm infants.

Conclusions:

  • Sick neonates have distinct nutritional needs due to illness-induced metabolic changes.
  • Addressing these altered metabolic demands is crucial for optimizing growth and neurodevelopment in this population.
  • Further research into tailored nutritional support for sick neonates is warranted.

Keywords:
Bronchopulmonary DysplasiaIllnessMacronutrientsMicronutrientsNeonatal SepsisNutritionPhysiologyPretermProteinStress

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