Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2025

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

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

Published on: August 25, 2014

85.7K

Impact of early nutrition on brain development and neurocognitive outcomes in very preterm infants

Nima Naseh1, Tânia F Vaz2, Hugo Ferreira2

  • 1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. nima.naseh@uu.se.

Pediatric Research
|March 4, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Early macronutrient intake in preterm infants did not affect brain growth or neurodevelopment. Meeting current nutritional recommendations appears sufficient for supporting brain development in these vulnerable infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatalogy
  • Neuroscience
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Malnutrition in preterm infants can impair brain growth and neurocognitive outcomes.
  • Understanding the impact of early nutrition on brain development is crucial for preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between macronutrient intake in very preterm infants and brain MRI at term.
  • To examine the relationship between early nutrition and neurodevelopment at two years of age.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of extremely and very preterm infants (2011-2014).
  • Assessed fluid, protein, carbohydrate, fat, and calorie intake during the first 28 days.
  • Correlated nutritional intake with brain MRI at term and cognitive scores (BSID-III) at 2 years using multivariable regression.

Main Results:

  • Lower caloric intake in extremely preterm infants did not correlate with differences in brain volumes.
  • Initial correlations between macronutrient intake and white matter/diffusion metrics were not significant after adjustment.
  • No significant associations were found between nutrient intake and cognitive development after adjusting for covariates.

Conclusions:

  • Individual variations in macronutrient intake did not influence brain growth or neurodevelopment in preterm infants meeting current recommendations.
  • Early postnatal nutrition, when adequate, was not associated with brain volumes or neurocognitive outcomes.
  • Standardized, adequate macronutrient intake may suffice for supporting brain development in preterm infants.
Abstract

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

11.3K
A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis06:19

A Rat Model of Mild Intrauterine Hypoperfusion with Microcoil Stenosis

Published on: January 7, 2018

10.2K

Related Concept Videos

Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
172
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...
33
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
64
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
30
Neurulation01:30

Neurulation

Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...
41.6K
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
2.3K