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Impact of introducing a standardized nutrition protocol on very premature infants' growth and morbidity
Apolline Wittwer1, Jean-Michel Hascoët1
1Department of Neonatology, Maternité Régionale, CHRU NANCY, DevAH University of Lorraine, France.
Insights
An updated nutrition protocol improved weight gain in very premature infants, particularly males. However, low compliance necessitates further education to prevent postnatal growth restriction.
Area of Science:
- Neonatalogy
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Growth Monitoring
Background:
- Inadequate nutrition in premature infants can lead to postnatal growth restriction (PGR) and long-term health issues.
- Optimizing nutritional intake is crucial for improving outcomes in very preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a new nutrition protocol on the growth and morbidity of very premature infants.
- To evaluate adherence to the updated nutritional care guidelines.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective longitudinal comparative analysis of 158 infants born between 26-32 weeks gestation.
- Infants were studied in two 6-month periods: before and after implementing an optimized nutrition protocol.
Main Results:
- Group 2 (post-protocol) showed improved weight gain z-scores compared to Group 1 (pre-protocol), especially in males.
- No significant differences in morbidity were observed between the groups.
- Compliance to the protocol was low in both groups, with variations in lipid and protein intake.
Conclusions:
- A structured nutrition protocol can enhance weight gain in very preterm infants.
- Low compliance highlights the need for educational interventions to ensure effective implementation and prevent PGR.
Background:
Inappropriate nutritional intake in premature infants may be responsible for postnatal growth restriction (PGR) and adverse long-term outcomes.
Objective:
We evaluated the impact of an updated nutrition protocol on very premature infants' longitudinal growth and morbidity, and secondly the compliance to this new protocol.
Design:
All infants born between 26-32 weeks gestation (GA) were studied retrospectively during two 6-month periods before (group 1) and after (group 2) the introduction of an optimized nutrition protocol, in a longitudinal comparative analysis.
Results:
158 infants were included; 72 before and 86 after the introduction of the protocol (Group 1: (mean±SD) birthweight (BW) 1154±276 g, GA 29.0±1.4 weeks; Group 2: BW 1215±332 g, GA 28.9±1.7 weeks). We observed growth improvement in Group 2 more pronounced in males (weight z-score) at D42 (-1.688±0.758 vs. -1.370±0.762, p = 0.045), D49 (-1.696±0.776 vs. -1.370±0.718, p = 0.051), D56 (-1.748±0.855 vs. -1.392±0.737, p = 0.072), D63 (-1.885±0.832 vs. -1.336±0.779 p = 0.016), and D70 (-2.001±0.747 vs. -1.228±0.765 p = 0.004). There was no difference in females or in morbidities between the groups. We observed low compliance to the protocol in both groups: similar energy intake but higher lipid intake in Group 1 and higher protein intake in Group 2.
Conclusion:
The quality of nutritional care with a strictly-defined protocol may significantly improve weight gain for very preterm infants. As compliance remained low, an educational reinforcement is needed to prevent PGR.
Clinical Trial Registration:
This retrospective study was registered by ClinicalTrials.gov under number NCT03217045, and by the CNIL (Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés) under study number R2015-1 for the Maternity of the CHRU of Nancy.
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