Calorie and protein-enriched formula versus standard term formula for improving growth and development in preterm or low birth weight infants following hospital discharge

Early nutrition and weight gain in preterm newborns and the risk of retinopathy of prematurity

OBJECTIVE

To identify nutritional and weight gain limitations associated with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) severity among very preterm newborns.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

1180 infants <28 weeks GA at birth with ROP examination results were grouped and analyzed by quartile of weekly total calorie, carbohydrate, protein, and lipid intake, as well as growth velocity between postnatal days 7 and 28 (adjusted for GA and birth weight Z-score). ROP was categorized by development of no, mild (

RESULTS

Greater risk for Type 1 ROP (risk/95% confidence intervals) was found for infants with lowest quartile receipt of lipids (2.1/1.1, 3.8), total calories (2.2/1.4, 3.6), and carbohydrates (1.7/1.1, 2.9). Development of zone 1 ROP was associated with lipid or total calorie intake in the lowest quartile, and development of stage 3 ROP was associated with lowest quartile of total calorie intake. Growth velocity in the lowest quartile was associated with increased risk of any ROP, including type 1 ROP.

CONCLUSION

The risk of developing severe ROP in extremely premature infants might be reduced by improving nutritional support, specifically targeting lipids and total calories, and perhaps by improving weight gain.

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Key Words Collapse

MESH Headings

• Female
• Humans
• Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena/physiology
• Infant, Extremely Premature/physiology
• Infant, Newborn
• Logistic Models
• Male
• Nutritional Status
• Prospective Studies
• Retinopathy of Prematurity/diagnosis
• Retinopathy of Prematurity/physiopathology
• Risk Assessment/methods
• Risk Assessment/statistics & numerical data
• Risk Factors
• Time Factors
• Weight Gain/physiology

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Grants

• 5U01NS040069-05 NINDS NIH HHS
• 2R01NS040069-06A2 NINDS NIH HHS
• R21 EY019253 NEI NIH HHS
• 5P30HD018655-28 NICHD NIH HHS
• 1R21EY019253-01 NEI NIH HHS
• P30 HD018655 NICHD NIH HHS
• U01 NS040069 NINDS NIH HHS

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Affiliation(s)

Deborah K VanderVeen Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Camilia R Martin
Reshma Mehendale
Elizabeth N Allred
Olaf Dammann
Alan Leviton

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Nutrient-enriched formula versus standard term formula for preterm infants following hospital discharge

BACKGROUND

Preterm infants are often growth-restricted at hospital discharge. Feeding infants after hospital discharge with nutrient-enriched formula rather than standard term formula might facilitate "catch-up" growth and improve development.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effect of feeding nutrient-enriched formula compared with standard term formula on growth and development for preterm infants following hospital discharge.

SEARCH METHODS

We used the standard search strategy of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group. This included searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library, 2011, Issue 4), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL (to September 2011), conference proceedings and previous reviews.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials that compared the effect of feeding preterm infants following hospital discharge with nutrient-enriched formula (post-discharge formula or preterm formula) compared with standard term formula.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We extracted data using the standard methods of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group, with separate evaluation of trial quality and data extraction by two review authors.

MAIN RESULTS

We found 15 eligible trials in which a total of 1128 preterm infants participated. The trials were of variable methodological quality with lack of allocation concealment and incomplete follow-up in some trials being the major potential sources of bias. The trials (N = 10) that compared feeding infants with "post-discharge formula" (energy density about 74 kcal/100 ml) versus standard term formula (about 67 kcal/100 ml) did not find consistent evidence of effects on growth parameters up to 12 to 18 months corrected age. The trials (N = 5) that compared feeding with "preterm formula" (about 80 kcal/100 ml) versus term formula found some evidence of higher rates of growth through infancy: weighted mean differences at 12 to 18 months corrected age about 500 g in weight, 5 to10 mm in length, and 5 mm in head circumference. Few trials assessed neurodevelopmental outcomes and these did not detect any statistically significant differences in developmental indices at 18 months corrected age. There are not yet any data on growth or development through later childhood.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Current recommendations to prescribe "post-discharge formula" for preterm infants following hospital discharge are not supported by the available evidence. Some limited evidence exists that feeding preterm infants following hospital discharge with "preterm formula" (which is generally only available for in-hospital use) may increase growth rates up to 18 months corrected age.

Influence of catch-up growth on glucose tolerance and beta-cell function in 7-year-old children: results from the birth to twenty study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of catch-up growth occurring at different stages of childhood on glucose levels and beta-cell function at 7 years of age.

METHODS

Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed on 152 7-year-old children. Anthropometric data were available from birth to 7 years of age. Children were split into catch-up, catch-down, and normal-growth groups on the basis of growth rates between birth and 1 year, birth and 5 years, and birth and 7 years. Fasting and 30- and 120-minute blood samples collected during the oral glucose tolerance tests were assayed for glucose, insulin, proinsulin, and des-31,32-proinsulin levels, and area-under-the-curve values were calculated.

RESULTS

Children with catch-up growth between birth and 5 years or birth and 7 years had greater area-under-the-curve insulin levels than the children with catch-down growth. Children with catch-up growth only between birth and 7 years exhibited higher proinsulin levels and a greater insulin secretory response to glucose than those who experienced catch-up growth between both birth and 1 year and birth and 7 years of age. Low birth weight children with no catch-up growth between birth and 7 years had the highest glucose and lowest insulinogenic index levels, whereas children with high birth weight and catch-up growth had the highest insulin levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Extremes of birth weight in conjunction with extremes of postnatal growth are all detrimental to childhood metabolism. The negative metabolic effects of catch-up growth between birth and 7 years may be attenuated if catch-up growth also occurs between birth and 1 year of age.

Nutrient-enriched formula versus standard term formula for preterm infants following hospital discharge

BACKGROUND

Preterm infants are often growth-restricted at hospital discharge. Feeding infants after hospital discharge with nutrient-enriched formula rather than standard term formula might facilitate "catch-up" growth and improve development.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effect of feeding nutrient-enriched formula compared with standard term formula on growth and development for preterm infants following hospital discharge.

SEARCH STRATEGY

The standard search strategy of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group were used. This included searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2007), MEDLINE (1966 - May 2007), EMBASE (1980 - May 2007), CINAHL (1982 - May 2007), conference proceedings, and previous reviews.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials that compared the effect of feeding preterm infants following hospital discharge with nutrient-enriched formula compared with standard term formula.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Data was extracted using the standard methods of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group, with separate evaluation of trial quality and data extraction by two authors, and synthesis of data using weighted mean difference and a fixed effects model for meta-analysis.

MAIN RESULTS

Seven trials were found that were eligible for inclusion. These recruited a total of 631 infants and were generally of good methodological quality. The trials found little evidence that feeding with nutrient-enriched formula milk affected growth and development. Because of differences in the way individual trials measured and presented outcomes, data synthesis was limited. Growth data from two trials found that, at six months post-term, infants fed with nutrient-enriched formula had statistically significantly lower weights [weighted mean difference: -601 (95% confidence interval -1028, -174) grams], lengths [-18.8 (-30.0, -7.6) millimetres], and head circumferences [-10.2 ( -18.0, -2.4) millimetres], than infants fed standard term formula. At 12 to 18 months post-term, meta-analyses of data from three trials did not find any statistically significant differences in growth parameters. However, examination of these meta-analyses demonstrated statistical heterogeneity. Meta-analyses of data from two trials did not reveal a statistically significant difference in Bayley Mental Development or Psychomotor Development Indices. There are not yet any data on growth or development through later childhood.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The available data do not provide strong evidence that feeding preterm infants following hospital discharge with nutrient-enriched formula compared with standard term formula affects growth rates or development up to 18 months post-term.

Preventing postnatal growth failure--the significance of feeding when the preterm infant is clinically stable

Nutrition guidelines and growth targets for preterm infants are currently based upon the reference standard of intrauterine growth and fetal nutrient accretion rates. This may not be an entirely appropriate standard--it is rarely achieved in clinical practice. Postnatal growth failure of very preterm infants is a universal problem with potentially significant, adverse neurological and health outcomes. The nutrient deficit that accumulates in the early weeks postdelivery when the preterm infant is clinically unstable is difficult to recover. Weight, length and head circumference measurements remain important clinical indicators of growth but composition of weight gain is emerging as a necessary measure in determining the adequacy of nutrition intake and growth. Recommended protein and energy intakes for very preterm infants are difficult to achieve with commercial human milk fortifiers and during hospitalisation, targeting the fortification of human milk to optimise the protein to energy ratio of milk feeds is necessary to ensure appropriate composition of weight gain. Postdischarge, continued fortification of human milk feeds may be required for a limited period of time for preterm infants with suboptimal weight for corrected age.

AIM AND METHODS

The following systematic review is aimed to derive evidence-based best practice guidelines for prevention of postnatal growth failure of very preterm infants who are clinically stable and growing. The focus is on reviewing the standard upon which ideal growth and nutrition guidelines are based and targeting fortification to maximise the protein to energy ratio in human milk feeds to ensure appropriate composition of weight gain. Directions for future research are provided. For the literature review the data bases Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library and reference lists of review articles were reviewed to December 2006. A hand search of paediatric and perinatal journals was also conducted.

Special circumstances: trophic feeds, necrotizing enterocolitis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia

There are many unresolved issues regarding how to feed the extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) infant. Trophic feedings of small volumes of breast milk or formula do not appear to increase the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). For prevention of NEC, breast milk, antenatal steroids and fluid restriction each confers a benefit. Because the incidence of NEC is relatively low, to determine if a particular prevention strategy is effective, large numbers of infants would need to be enrolled in a prospective, randomized controlled trial, and such trials are rare. Candidate therapies for NEC prevention that warrant further study include oral immunoglobulins, probiotics, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and arginine. Suboptimal nutrition in ELBW infants is common in the early postnatal period. This is also the most critical time for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, when even brief periods of malnutrition have significant effects on lung development and growth.

Nutritional support in the premature newborn

The theory and practice of nutritional support in the premature newborn has assumed increasing importance with survival of greater numbers of very immature infants. After birth, many do not tolerate full enteral feeding until gastrointestinal motor function has matured. During this process some will develop necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating failure of adaptation to postnatal life that may result in death, or severe complications. The feeding strategy that minimises the risk of NEC remains to be defined. In addition, promoting growth rates and nutrient accretion equivalent to those achieved during fetal development while optimising neurodevelopmental and long term health outcomes represents an important challenge for neonatologists. This review will focus on the problems associated with enteral nutrition, the requirement for parenteral nutrition, and the long term consequences of early nutritional interventions, underlining the need for prolonged follow up in assessing the potential benefits of different approaches to feeding.

Postdischarge nutritional therapy

Nutrient-enriched diets for preterm infants after hospital discharge (preterm formula or postdischarge formula (PDF)) results in improved growth and these differences appear to persist beyond the period of nutrient intervention. The PDF diet effect is greatest in males, possibly reflecting their higher growth rates. The critical growth epoch appears to be the first 2 months post-term, suggesting a finite period and therefore opportunity for enhanced growth. Whether the observed growth effects persist further or have consequences for other aspects of health or development requires further investigation.