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Gastric Volume Changes in Preterm Neonates during Intermittent and Continuous Feeding-GRV and Feeding Mode in Preterm

Rozeta Sokou1, Ioanna N Grivea2, Eleni Gounari3

  • 1Neonatal Clinic-NICU, General Hospital of Nikaia "Agios Panteleimon", 3 D. Mantouvalou Str., 18454 Piraeus, Greece.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 30, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Intermittent milk feeds (IMF) lead to faster gastric emptying in very premature neonates (VPN) compared to continuous milk feeds (CMF). Gastric residual volume (GRV) measurements showed significant differences between the two feeding methods.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatology
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Evaluating gastric volume changes in very premature neonates (VPN) is crucial for optimizing feeding strategies.
  • Gastric residual volume (GRV) assessment methods need refinement for accuracy in this population.
  • Comparing intermittent milk feeds (IMF) and continuous milk feeds (CMF) is essential for understanding neonatal digestion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess gastric volume changes during IMF and CMF in very premature neonates.
  • To measure gastric residual volume (GRV) using antral cross-sectional area (ACSA) via ultrasound.
  • To compare GRV and gastric emptying patterns between IMF and CMF.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized prospective clinical trial with a crossover design was employed.
  • Thirty-one preterm neonates (gestational age < 30 weeks) participated.
  • Gastric volume was assessed using ultrasound (U/S) to measure antral cross-sectional area (ACSA) at 7 time points over 2 hours for both IMF and CMF.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in gastric volume changes were observed between IMF and CMF.
  • Median GRV at 120 minutes was 3% for IMF versus 50% for CMF.
  • Mean gastric emptying time was significantly shorter with IMF (p = 0.0032), with no feeding intolerance reported.

Conclusions:

  • Gastric volume changes and emptying time in very premature neonates are dependent on the feeding method (IMF vs. CMF).
  • Ultrasound-based ACSA measurements provide a valuable method for assessing gastric volume.
  • Continuous milk feeds (CMF) resulted in higher GRV but were well-tolerated up to 80% in this cohort.

Keywords:
continuous feedingfeeding intolerancegastric emptying timegastric residual volumeintermittent feedingvery low birth weight newborns

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