Higher protein and energy intake is associated with increased weight gain in pre‐term infants |
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Authors: | Carmel T Collins Mei Chien Chua Victor S Rajadurai Andrew J McPhee Lisa N Miller Robert A Gibson Maria Makrides |
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Affiliation: | 1. Child Nutrition Research Centre, Women's and Children's Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre and Women's and Children's Health Research Institute and;2. School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of South Australia,;3. School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health,;4. Department Neonatology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital,;5. Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and;6. Duke‐NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, Singapore.;7. Department of Neonatal Medicine, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia,;8. School of Population Health and Clinical Practice and;9. School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, |
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Abstract: | Aim: To characterise and compare the nutritional management and growth in infants <33 weeks' gestation in two tertiary centres. Methods: An audit of daily intake and growth from birth to discharge home was undertaken in two neonatal units: The KK Women's and Children's Hospital Singapore and the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital, South Australia. Mixed models were used to model intake and daily weight (g/day) accounting for repeated day per subject. Results: The clinical characteristics of the two cohorts were similar. The Adelaide cohort had a higher initial energy intake in the first 5 days compared with the Singapore cohort, and a significantly greater weekly increase of 21.0 kcal/week (95% CI 7.7–34.3; P = 0.002). The Adelaide cohort also had a higher initial protein intake and a significantly greater weekly increase of 0.88 g/week (95% CI 0.5, 1.3), P < 0.001) compared with the Singapore cohort. The weight gain of the Adelaide cohort was 9 g/day more than the Singapore cohort (95% CI 7.3, 10.7; P < 0.001). Post‐natal growth failure was evident in 32% (n = 64) of the Adelaide cohort and 64% (n = 94) of the Singapore cohort. Conclusions: The two centres showed distinct differences in nutritional management. A higher energy and protein intake was associated with improved growth yet growth in both cohorts was still below current recommendations. |
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Keywords: | enteral nutrition infant premature parenteral nutrition |
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