Introduction of Solid Foods in Preterm Infants and Its Impact on Growth in the First Year of Life-A Prospective...

Area of Science:

• Neonatal nutrition
• Pediatric growth and development

Background:

• Preterm infants, particularly those with very low birth weight, face unique challenges in growth and development.
• The optimal timing for introducing solid foods (weaning) in preterm infants remains a subject of clinical debate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of early versus late introduction of solid foods on the growth of preterm infants during their first year of life.
• To determine if corrected age at weaning affects anthropometric parameters at 12 months corrected age.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study involving very low birth weight infants.
• Infants were stratified into two groups: early weaning (<17 weeks corrected age) and late weaning (≥17 weeks corrected age).
• Anthropometric measurements (length, weight, head circumference) and machine learning analysis were used to assess growth outcomes at 12 months corrected age.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in length, weight, or head circumference were observed between the early and late weaning groups at 12 months corrected age.
• Machine learning models indicated no effect of weaning age on length or length z-scores.
• Infants with comorbidities exhibited significantly lower anthropometric z-scores compared to those without comorbidities.

Conclusions:

• The age at which solid foods are introduced does not appear to significantly affect the growth of preterm infants by 12 months corrected age.
• Weaning decisions for preterm infants should prioritize their neurological abilities and developmental readiness over strict age-based guidelines.
• Comorbidities play a significant role in the growth outcomes of preterm infants, irrespective of weaning timing.