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Feeding intolerance during phototherapy in preterm infants
Carlo Dani1,2, Martina Ciarcià2, Michele Luzzati2
1Division of Neonatology, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Insights
Phototherapy (PT) for hyperbilirubinemia in preterm infants can cause feeding intolerance. This intolerance was transient in about half of infants, resolving after PT completion, suggesting a temporary effect.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
Background:
- Hyperbilirubinemia is common in very preterm infants.
- Phototherapy (PT) is a standard treatment for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
- PT may negatively impact gut perfusion, potentially leading to feeding intolerance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the occurrence of feeding intolerance in very preterm infants undergoing PT.
- To assess the duration and resolution of feeding intolerance related to PT.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 125 preterm infants (25+0-31+6 weeks gestation).
- Infants served as their own controls, monitoring feeding intolerance before, during, and after PT.
- Regression analysis was used to identify risk factors.
Main Results:
- 46% of infants developed feeding intolerance during PT.
- 81% of those with feeding intolerance recovered tolerance after PT cessation.
- Higher birth weight and age at PT initiation showed a non-significant trend toward reduced risk.
Conclusions:
- Transient feeding intolerance is common in very preterm infants receiving PT.
- Feeding intolerance typically resolves after PT is completed.
- Further research is needed to confirm the PT-feeding intolerance correlation.
Objective:
Many very preterm infants are treated with phototherapy (PT) for hyperbilirubinemia and it has been reported that PT can negatively affect gut perfusion. Thus, our aim was to evaluate the occurrence of feeding intolerance in the course of PT in these patients.
Methods:
We retrospectively studied infants born at 25+0-31+6 weeks from November 2017 to April 2020 who required PT during the first two weeks of life. Patients were used as their own controls recording for each one the occurrence of feeding intolerance after starting PT and the resumption of feeding tolerance after its termination.
Results:
We studied 125 preterm infants of whom 58 (46%) developed a feeding intolerance which disappeared in 47 (81%) of them at the end of PT. Regression analysis showed a trend toward a not significant decrease of risk of feeding intolerance in infants with higher birth weight and age at the start of the first course of PT.
Conclusion:
We found that about half of our patients developed a transient feeding intolerance during PT that ceased in the vast majority of them after termination of the therapy. Further studies are necessary to confirm the correlation between PT and feeding intolerance.
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