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Weaning Time in Preterm Infants: An Audit of Italian Primary Care Paediatricians
Maria Elisabetta Baldassarre1,2, Antonio Di Mauro3, Annarita Pedico4
1Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, "Aldo Moro" University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy. mariaelisabetta.baldassarre@uniba.it.
Insights
Italian pediatricians show varied approaches to complementary feeding for preterm infants, lacking standardized guidelines. Further research is needed to establish evidence-based practices for introducing solid foods and supplements to premature babies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Nutrition
Background:
- Premature birth affects approximately 6.7% of newborns in Italy.
- Limited data exists on current complementary feeding practices for preterm infants in Italy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the attitudes of primary care pediatricians in Italy regarding complementary feeding for preterm infants.
- To evaluate current practices for introducing solid foods and supplements to preterm newborns.
Main Methods:
- An internet-based survey was distributed to primary care pediatricians across Italy.
- The survey covered the timing and type of complementary food introduction, and vitamin D/iron supplementation practices.
Main Results:
- 347 pediatricians responded; 44% based complementary feeding timing solely on infant age, 18% on neurodevelopment, and 4% on weight.
- Complementary food introduction lacked an evidence-based sequence.
- 98% recommended vitamin D and 89% iron supplementation, with significant variation in timing and dosage.
Conclusions:
- Significant heterogeneity exists among Italian pediatricians regarding complementary feeding for preterm infants due to limited evidence.
- Further research is essential to develop evidence-based guidelines for weaning preterm infants.
Introduction:
According to the 2016 Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) data in Italy, about 6.7% of all newborns are born prematurely. Due to the lack of data on current complementary feeding in preterm infants in Italy, the aim of the survey was to evaluate individual attitudes of primary care paediatricians, concerning the introduction of complementary foods in preterm infants.
Methods:
An internet-based survey was conducted among primary care paediatricians, working in Italy, regarding (1) timing of the introduction of complementary foods to preterm newborns; (2) type of complementary foods introduced; (3) vitamin D and iron supplementations.
Results:
A total of 347 primary care Italian paediatricians answered the questionnaire; 44% of responders based the timing of the introduction of solid food exclusively on an infant's age, 18% on an infant's neurodevelopmental status and 4% on the body weight; the remaining 34% based the timing on two or more of these aspects. The type of complementary foods did not comply with an evidence-based sequence; 98% of participants promoted vitamin D supplementation and 89% promoted iron supplementation with great diversity in timing and doses.
Conclusions:
Due to limited evidence, there is a great heterogeneity in the attitudes of primary care paediatricians concerning the introduction of complementary foods to preterm newborns. Further research is needed to provide evidence-based guidelines regarding weaning preterm newborns.
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