Nutrition and Growth in Very Preterm Infants

Early Nutritional Intake and Growth in Very Preterm or Very Low Birth Weight Infants: a Prospective Cohort Study

This study aims to explore the relation of early nutritional intake, especially oral nutrition intake, with growth and body composition among very preterm or very low birth weight infants.

As the survival of very preterm infants increases, it is important to evaluate their long-term outcomes. Nutritional intake during early life was important to the growth and development in infants, especially in preterm infants. Studies found that early nutrition exposure in preterm infants can effect scored of Griffith Mental Development Scales and body fat percentage at later life. Insulin-like growth factor-1, leptin, Ghrelin, C-Peptide are associated with fat mass in children. And accumulation of fat and insulin resistance (IR) in the early postnatal period are related to metabolism diseases in adulthood. However, previous studies on nutrition and growth or the body composition of preterm infants were mostly completed in developed countries, and no relevant data were available in China. Therefore, this study aims to establish a prospective cohort of very preterm infants to observe the effects of nutritional exposure in early life on growth and body composition in later life.

Inclusion Criteria:

• infants born with a gestational age >=28 weeks and <32 weeks and/or a birth weight >=1000g and <1500g;
• infants admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Children's hospital of Fudan University within 24h after birth.

Exclusion Criteria:

• major congenital anomalies or heredity metabolic diseases;
• severe disease or abdominal surgery during hospitalization;
• death during hospitalization or discharge without medical advice;
• small for gestational age.