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Feeding the preterm infant
1University of Cambridge, Department of Paediatrics, Addenbrookes Hospital, UK.
Insights
Providing preterm infants with specialized nutrition, such as fortified maternal milk or preterm formula, is crucial for their growth and neurological development. Standard infant diets are inadequate and should be avoided.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal intensive care
- Pediatric nutrition
Background:
- Sick preterm infants have unique nutritional requirements.
- Early nutrition significantly impacts preterm infant growth and neurological outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the nutritional needs of preterm infants.
- To outline nutritional strategies in neonatal intensive care.
Main Methods:
- Review of prospective randomized studies on infant nutrition.
- Analysis of the impact of different diets on preterm infants.
Main Results:
- Preterm formula or fortified maternal milk leads to optimal outcomes.
- Term infant diets are insufficient for preterm infants, causing short and long-term deficits.
Conclusions:
- Appropriate nutrition is vital for managing preterm infants.
- Specialized preterm nutrition is essential for healthy development, unlike standard infant diets.
Abstract:
The sick preterm infant has special nutritional needs, and the provision of appropriate nutrition is now recognised as an important part of the increasingly intensive management of this population. "Optimal" nutrition is difficult to define for an individual infant, but prospective randomised studies have shown that the early diet given to preterm infants can have a major impact on their neurological development and growth, with the best outcomes for those receiving either a preterm formula or maternal milk fortified with a range of nutrients. In contrast, diets suitable for term infants do not meet the needs of small preterm infants, either in the short or longer term, and should not be used. This article reviews the nutritional needs of the preterm infant and outlines the strategies commonly used in this area of neonatal intensive care.