Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 7, 2025

Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development
06:19

Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development

Published on: April 19, 2024

825

Early-Life Slow Enteral Feeding Progression Pattern Is Associated with Longitudinal Head-Size Growth Faltering and

Yung-Chieh Lin1,2, Chi-Hsiang Chu3,4, Yen-Ju Chen1,2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704302, Taiwan.

Nutrients
|March 11, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Slow enteral feeding progression in extremely preterm infants is linked to poorer head growth and neurodevelopmental impairment. Identifying these feeding patterns early can help pinpoint infants at high risk for adverse outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Extremely preterm (EP) infants require careful nutritional management for optimal growth and development.
  • Enteral feeding progression is a critical factor in the early postnatal period for EP infants.
  • Understanding feeding patterns may offer insights into long-term outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between early enteral feeding progression patterns and longitudinal head-circumference (HC) growth in EP infants.
  • To determine if feeding patterns correlate with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 24 months corrected age (CA).

Main Methods:

  • Clustering analysis of daily enteral feeding volumes identified two feeding patterns: fast and slow progression.
  • Longitudinal HC measurements were taken from birth to 24 months CA.
  • Neurodevelopmental assessment using Bayley Scales of Infant Development was performed at 24 months CA.

Main Results:

  • Two feeding patterns were identified: fast (66%) and slow (34%) progression.
  • The slow progression group exhibited delayed feeding, reduced HC growth (zHC < -1), and higher rates of microcephaly.
  • The slow progression group also showed significantly higher rates of neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at 24 months CA.

Conclusions:

  • Early enteral feeding progression patterns in EP infants are associated with head growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • Characterizing feeding patterns can aid in identifying EP infants at risk for growth faltering and NDI.
  • This approach may facilitate early intervention strategies for high-risk infants.
Abstract

Keywords:
clustering analysisenteral feeding progression patternsextremely preterm infantsgrowth falteringhead circumferenceneurodevelopmental impairment

More Related Videos

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats07:36

Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats

Published on: November 20, 2015

11.4K
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

86.2K

Related Concept Videos

Enteral Nutrition I: Orogastric and Nasogastric Feeding01:26

Enteral Nutrition I: Orogastric and Nasogastric Feeding

Enteral nutrition delivers nutrients directly to the stomach or small intestine through a tube. This method is appropriate for patients who cannot eat but still have a functioning digestive system. It is also beneficial for individuals with swallowing difficulties, anorexia, malabsorption, or those who have undergone gastrointestinal (GI) surgery.
Orogastric (OG) and nasogastric (NG) feeding are two standard methods used for enteral nutrition. Enteral nutrition is often preferred over...
411
Enteral Nutrition II: Nasointestinal and Gastrostomy Feeding01:15

Enteral Nutrition II: Nasointestinal and Gastrostomy Feeding

Enteral nutrition encompasses various methods of delivering nutrition directly to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, bypassing traditional oral intake. It is particularly beneficial for patients who cannot eat by mouth but have a functioning digestive system. Key methods include nasointestinal feeding, gastrostomy, and jejunostomy, each suited to different clinical scenarios based on the patient's needs and condition.
Nasointestinal Feeding
Nasointestinal feeding involves placing a tube...
235
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
20.6K
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
96