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Nutritional policies for late preterm and early term infants - can we do better?

Mariana Muelbert1, Jane E Harding1, Frank H Bloomfield1

  • 1Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine
|October 21, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Late preterm (LP) and early term (ET) infants face health risks despite appearing healthy. Research is needed to determine optimal nutrition for their growth, neurocognitive development, and metabolic health.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition
  • Infant development
  • Pediatric health outcomes

Background:

  • Late preterm (LP) and early term (ET) infants are at higher risk for adverse outcomes.
  • Their nutritional needs are not well-defined, leading to inconsistent clinical practices.
  • Rapid infant growth may impact neurocognitive function differently than body composition and metabolic health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the unique challenges and risks associated with LP and ET infants.
  • To underscore the need for better data on nutritional requirements for these populations.
  • To guide future research on optimizing growth and development in LP and ET infants.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review on current understanding of LP and ET infant needs.
  • Analysis of recent data regarding rapid growth and its effects.
  • Identification of knowledge gaps in nutritional science for preterm and early term infants.

Main Results:

  • LP and ET infants present with apparent health but underlying immaturity.
  • Existing data suggest rapid growth may benefit neurocognition but not necessarily body composition or metabolic health.
  • Breastfeeding support for mothers of LP and ET infants is crucial but often insufficient.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is essential to establish precise nutritional requirements for LP and ET infants.
  • Studies should focus on optimizing growth for both short- and long-term health.
  • Investigating the balance between neurocognitive and metabolic benefits of infant nutrition is critical.

Keywords:
BreastfeedingEarly termInfant growthLate pretermNutrition

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