Computer-aided nutrition - Effects on nutrition and growth in preterm infants <32 weeks of gestation

Preterm infants are often discharged from the NICU with suboptimal growth. The aim of our intervention study was to determine if a computer-aided nutrition calculation program could help to optimise the nutrition and secondary improve the growth of preterm infants.

Intake of macro- and micronutrients and anthropometric data was collected in 78 preterm infants with GA ≤32+0 from birth to postnatal week 7. The nutrition of 43 preterm infants was ordinated with help of the program Nutrium™​ (IG). Before the introduction of the program 35 consecutive preterm infants served as control group (CG). Their data were collected in retrospect.

Amino acid, carbohydrate, fluid intake and total energy intake were statistically different at all time points. Fatty acid intake was statistically different expect for week 2 and 4. Similar differences were found for magnesium, calcium and phosphorus, zinc, copper and selenium. In contrast vitamin intake was higher in the control group. At birth there were no differences between the groups with respect to anthropometric data. Weight, length and head circumference (HC) SDS decreased in both groups from birth to day 28 of life (CG -1.2 SDS; -1.2 SDS; -0.8 SDS vs IG -0.9 SDS; -0.8 SDS; -0.4 SDS). The infants in the CG showed until discharge a partial catch-up but remained below birth SDS for weight and length (-0.5 SDS; -0.9 SDS). In the IG, infants reached birth values for weight and length (-0.1 SDS; 0 SDS). For HC both groups showed similar values at the time point for birth and discharge (CG +0.3 SDS vs IG +0.5 SDS).

By using a computer-aided nutrition calculation program better postnatal growth was achieved. Nutritional intake was increased in respect to nearly all micro- and macronutrients. There were no adverse effects. In contrast there was a tendency of decreased incidence of BPD, infection rate and PDA.