Enteral Nutrition in Newborns with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia

Clinicians are uncertain about the nutrition of patients diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis and feeding intolerance. The nutritional protocols of these patients are still unclear. We aimed to investigate the time of starting nutrition and related conditions in these patients receiving therapeutic hypothermia (TH) treatment.

This retrospective single-center study evaluated patients hospitalized at our unit and receiving TH between January 2022 and June 2023. Those who started nutrition during TH and after TH were defined as the early enteral nutrition (EEN) and late enteral nutrition (LEN) groups, respectively. Analyses were performed between the two groups.

Our study evaluated 91 patients, of whom 40 were in the EEN group and 51 were in the LEN group. The reaching birth weight time in the LEN group was delayed (10 [5-22] vs. 7.5 [5-25] days, respectively, p<0.001), the transition time to full enteral nutrition was longer (10 [6-20] vs. 7 [5-18] days, respectively, p<0.001), and the hospitalization time was longer (13 [8-43] vs. 9 [7-35] days, respectively, p<0.001) compared with those of the EEN group.

TH is not an obstacle to starting nutrition. Starting nutrition in these patients at an early stage does not increase nutritional complications and shortens their discharge time.