Early Enteral Nutrition and Postnatal Growth of Preterm Very Low Birth-Weight Infants

Abstract

In a prospective cohort study the dependence of postnatal growth of very preterm infants until discharge on their nutrition during the neonatal period was evaluated. Forty infants with birth weight < 1250 g and gestational age < 30 wks were under observation. It was found that the incidence of postnatal growth retardation of such infants at the moment of discharge was 77.5 %. Insufficient enteral nutrition volume at the end of early neonatal period and at the beginning of late neonatal period was one of the most important causes of postnatal growth retardation in such infants. Advancing of clinical feeding practice with optimal feeding products use remains an important reserve for improvement of clinical outcomes in very preterm newborns.