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Increased early enteral zinc intake improves weight gain in hospitalised preterm infants

Tracey Harris1, Fumiyuki Gardner1, Abigail Podany2

  • 1Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Penn State Health Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA, USA.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|April 30, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Early enteral zinc intake is crucial for preterm infant growth in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Higher zinc intake is linked to significant weight gain and head circumference growth during NICU hospitalization.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition
  • Pediatric growth and development
  • Trace element metabolism

Background:

  • Preterm infants often face nutritional challenges in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
  • Zinc is an essential trace element vital for infant growth and development.
  • Optimizing nutrient intake, including zinc, is critical for improving outcomes in vulnerable preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between enteral zinc intake and growth parameters in preterm infants.
  • To determine if early zinc supplementation influences weight gain, length, and head circumference.
  • To assess the impact of zinc intake on preterm infant growth during NICU hospitalization.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 105 preterm infants in a tertiary referral center.
  • Enteral zinc intake assessed on day of life 14; growth measured from birth to discharge.
  • Statistical analyses included nonparametric tests, partial correlations, and multiple regression.

Main Results:

  • Enteral zinc intake showed a positive association with weight gain (r=0.4, p<0.01) and head circumference growth (r=0.3, p<0.01).
  • Higher zinc intake was independently linked to increased weight gain, even after adjusting for postmenstrual age.
  • Breast milk versus formula intake did not significantly alter the zinc-growth relationship.

Conclusions:

  • Early enteral zinc intake is positively associated with improved growth in preterm infants.
  • Adequate zinc nutrition is important for optimizing growth outcomes in the NICU setting.
  • This study underscores the significance of enteral zinc for early infant nutrition and development.
Abstract

Keywords:
Infant growthInfant nutritionNeonatologyPrematurityZinc

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