Very preterm infants who receive transitional formulas as a complement to human milk can achieve catch-up growth

Area of Science:

• Neonatology
• Pediatric Nutrition
• Growth and Development

Background:

• Premature infants often require specialized nutrition post-discharge to support optimal growth.
• Human milk (HM) is the preferred nutrition source, but transitional formula (TF) may be used to ensure adequate nutrient intake.
• Evaluating the efficacy of different post-discharge feeding strategies is crucial for improving outcomes in preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the growth of premature infants fed a post-discharge diet of human milk (HM) supplemented with transitional formula (TF) versus those fed TF exclusively.
• To assess anthropometric changes and growth velocities in these two groups.
• To determine if HM supplementation with TF influences growth compared to TF alone.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 51 premature infants.
• Dietary intake (HM and TF) and anthropometric measurements were recorded at discharge and at 12-15 months corrected gestational age.
• Growth velocities and changes in z-scores were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Both feeding groups exhibited similar post-discharge growth velocities and changes in z-scores.
• The duration of HM consumption or complementary TF feeds did not significantly correlate with weight gain.
• All infants achieved catch-up growth, with velocities exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) weight growth standard.

Conclusions:

• Premature infants receiving HM with complementary TF post-discharge demonstrated growth velocities comparable to or exceeding the WHO standard for term infants.
• The findings suggest that both feeding strategies support adequate catch-up growth.
• Further research may explore long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.