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Published on: July 28, 2022
Effect of hydrolyzed formulas on gastrointestinal tolerance in preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Mengyuan Li1, Yuehui Fang1, Yiyao Lian1
1Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Beijing, China.
Insights
Hydrolyzed formulas (HFs) improve gastrointestinal tolerance in preterm infants by reducing feed intolerance and speeding up full enteral feeding. Standard preterm formulas (SPFs) were less effective in these aspects.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Nutrition
- Gastroenterology
- Pediatric Clinical Trials
Background:
- Hydrolyzed formulas (HFs) are increasingly utilized for early enteral nutrition in preterm infants.
- Assessing the impact of HFs on gastrointestinal tolerance is crucial for optimizing infant feeding protocols.
Conclusions:
- Hydrolyzed formulas show potential benefits for preterm infants, enhancing gastrointestinal tolerance.
- HFs may reduce the risk of feed intolerance and accelerate the achievement of full enteral feeding in this vulnerable population.
- Further research may explore long-term outcomes and specific HF compositions.
Objective:
Hydrolyzed formulas (HFs) have been increasingly used in early enteral feeding in preterm infants. The current study aimed to compare the effect of HFs with standard preterm formula (SPF) on gastrointestinal tolerance in preterm infants by systematically reviewing the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related.
Methods:
Relevant studies published until August 2021 were searched in English and Chinese databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP. Three outcomes, including the incidence of feed intolerance (FI), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and the time to full enteral feeding, were chosen to evaluate the effect on gastrointestinal tolerance comprehensively.
Results:
Ten eligible studies with 886 participants were included in the final analysis. Infants who received HFs showed a lower risk of FI (RR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.42-0.90; p < .05) and shorter time to full enteral feeding (MD = -0.56, 95% CI = -1.03 to -0.10; p < .05) compared with those fed with SPF. There was no significant difference in risk of NEC (RR = 0.48, 95%CI = 0.21 - 1.08; p > .05) between the two groups.
Conclusions:
The results showed that HFs may have benefits in improving gastrointestinal tolerance in preterm infants, including reducing the risk of FI and shortening the time to full enteral feeding.
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