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Investigation of a Common Clinical Approach to Poor Growth in Preterm Infants

Stephanie G Korff1, Julie Ross1, Kristen Morella2

  • 1Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.

American Journal of Perinatology
|August 21, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Supplementing very low birth weight infants with medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil or formula powder improved their growth velocity and weight z-score trajectory in the short term.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition
  • Pediatric growth studies
  • Clinical nutrition research

Background:

  • Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants often require nutritional support to optimize growth.
  • Human milk fortifiers are standard, but additional energy may enhance growth velocity.
  • Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and formula powder are potential energy supplements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of elevated energy intake via MCT oil or formula powder on growth velocity and weight z-scores in VLBW infants.
  • To compare the short-term effects of these two energy supplementation methods.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study design was employed.
  • Infants received either MCT oil or formula powder for at least 7 days as an energy supplement.
  • Growth velocity and weight z-scores were measured pre- and postintervention, focusing on 7-day changes.

Main Results:

  • Forty-three VLBW infants were included in the study.
  • Infants receiving MCT oil were more preterm with lower birth weights.
  • A significant increase in growth velocity (10.0 to 19.8 g/kg/day) and weight z-score (-0.24 to 0.05) was observed postintervention.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated energy intake using MCT oil or formula powder is associated with improved short-term growth velocity.
  • This nutritional strategy positively impacts the weight z-score trajectory in VLBW infants.
  • Further research may explore long-term outcomes of such interventions.
Abstract

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