Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr.  2018 Oct;21(4):234-247. 10.5223/pghn.2018.21.4.234.

Nutritional Support Strategies for the Preterm Infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

• Hay WW

• KMID: 2421985
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5223/pghn.2018.21.4.234

Abstract

The goal of nutrition of the preterm infant is to "provide nutrients to approximate the rate of growth and composition of weight gain for a normal fetus of the same postmenstrual age and to maintain normal concentrations of blood and tissue nutrients" (American Academy of Pediatrics 2014). Failure to provide the necessary amounts of all of the essential nutrients to preterm infants has produced not only growth failure, but also increased morbidity and less than optimal neurodevelopment. This continues to be true despite many efforts to increase nutrition of the preterm infants. In contrast, enhanced nutrition of very preterm infants, both intravenous and enteral, beginning right after birth, promotes positive energy and protein balance and improves longer term neurodevelopmental outcomes. The benefits are long lasting too, particularly for prevention of later life chronic diseases.

Keyword

Preterm; Nutrition; Hyperglycemia; Glucose; Amino acids; Lipid

MeSH Terms

Amino Acids
Chronic Disease
Fetus
Glucose
Humans
Hyperglycemia
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature*
Intensive Care, Neonatal*
Nutritional Support*
Parturition
Pediatrics
Weight Gain
Amino Acids
Glucose

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Relationship between fractional protein synthetic rates (Ks) and fractional growth rates (Kg) and gestational age in fetal lambs. Adapted from Hay WW Jr et al. (In: Polin RA, et al, eds. Fetal and Neonatal Physiology, 4th ed.) [42].

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