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Postnatal nutrition in extremely low birth weight infants and its impact on growth until the age of 6 years
Author(s) -
Peiler Annika,
Woelfle Joachim,
Stutte Sonja,
Schreiner Felix,
Bartmann Peter,
Gohlke Bettina
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.12469
Subject(s) - medicine , birth weight , gestational age , small for gestational age , body mass index , pediatrics , endocrinology , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Abstract Aim To examine the impact of postnatal nutrition on long‐term growth in extremely low birth weight infants. Method Retrospective analysis of postnatal nutrition and observational study of growth in 52 ELBW infants until the age of six. Results Changes (Δ) in weight and length standard deviation scores ( SDS ) between birth to term correlated with protein intake (r w = 0.36; p = 0.009; r L = 0.35; p = 0.01), whereas Δ HC correlated with lipid intake (r HC = 0.38; p = 0.005). Analysis of various intervals (0–2, 3–5, 6–8 and 9–11 weeks) only showed significant impact on growth for energy (r = 0.3; p < 0.05) and lipids (r = 0.23; p < 0.05) at 6–8 weeks. No significant correlations were found between postnatal nutritional parameters and long‐term growth. However, postnatal growth restraint was negatively associated with length SDS (r = −0.34; p = 0.015) and body mass index SDS (r = −0.34; p = 0.018) at the age of six. Infants with postnatal growth restraint (n = 25) caught up more in length (+1.78 SDS ) than in weight (+0.43 SDS ), whereas small for gestational age infants (n = 8) caught up more in weight (+1.35 SDS ) than in length (+1.07 SDS ). This difference remained significant at the age of six. Conclusion Although no direct association between postnatal nutrition and long‐term growth was found, weight at discharge was a strong predictor for long‐term growth.