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A randomised trial of enteral glutamine supplementation for very preterm children showed no beneficial or adverse long‐term neurodevelopmental outcomes
Author(s) -
Twilhaar E. Sabrina,
Kieviet Jorrit F.,
Oosterlaan Jaap,
Elburg Ruurd M.
Publication year - 2018
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.14167
Subject(s) - medicine , enteral administration , neurocognitive , pediatrics , cohort , glutamine , placebo , adverse effect , randomized controlled trial , cohort study , confounding , parenteral nutrition , cognition , psychiatry , biochemistry , chemistry , alternative medicine , amino acid , pathology
Aim This study evaluated the long‐term effects of enteral glutamine supplementation on neurodevelopmental outcomes of a Dutch cohort of very preterm children at 13 years of age. Methods The cohort was enrolled in a randomised placebo‐controlled trial between 2001 and 2003 in which infants received glutamine‐ or alanine‐supplemented enteral nutrition during the first month of life. Participants were invited for follow‐up at a mean age of 13.30 years. Motor, neurocognitive, academic and behavioural outcomes were assessed in 61 children. Results No differences were found between the groups regarding motor, intellectual, academic and behavioural functioning. Forward span visuospatial working memory performance was better in the controls (crude/adjusted model: d = 0.67/0.64, p = 0.02/0.02), but no difference was found for backward span. After the data were adjusted for confounders, the groups differed regarding parent‐rated attention (crude/adjusted model: d = 0.47/0.73, p = 0.07/0.003), but both groups scored within the normal range. Conclusion This was the first study on the long‐term effects of enteral glutamine supplementation on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of very preterm children. Our study provided no evidence that enteral glutamine supplementation had any beneficial or adverse effects on the children's motor, neurocognitive, academic and behavioural outcomes at 13 years of age.