Feeding Intolerance among Preterm Neonates Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Premature infants frequently suffer from feeding intolerance related to prematurity and are highly associated with morbidity and mortality. Breast milk is fundamental to the improvement of the infant’s immature vulnerable framework and decreases child mortality. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of feeding intolerance in premature neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among premature infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care hospital, from 15 December 2021 to 15 May 2022 after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 2211202103). Convenience sampling was done. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among the 55 preterm neonates, the prevalence of feeding intolerance was 21 (38.18%) (25.34-51.02, 95% Confidence Interval). Conclusions: The study showed that the prevalence of feeding intolerance among neonates was higher than in studies conducted in similar settings.

Substandard feeding in children undergoing mechanical ventilation in pediatric intensive care unit: A retrospective cohort study in China

“…A less than 40 ml feeding rate was significantly associated with substandard feeding. The primary cause of the slow infusion speed is feeding intolerance (Kayastha et al, 2022 ; Marino et al, 2020 ). The incidence of feeding intolerance in critically ill children undergoing enteral nutrition can be as high as 74.67%, preventing critically ill children from reaching the feeding target within the planned time and prolonging the duration of mechanical ventilation (Wong et al, 2016 ).…”

A simple step to improve fat and energy delivery of human milk delivered via bottle‐feeding pump: An experimental study

“…[3][4][5] The reduction in fat delivery is exacerbated when feeds are delivered over an extended period of time, which is a common practice in many NICUs because of feeding intolerance. 6,7 This fat loss can be detrimental to premature infants because insufficient energy intake leads to postnatal growth failure and is associated with increased morbidity, 8,9 whereas improved energy delivery is associated with improved neurodevelopmental outcomes in high-risk preterm infants. 10 Many important nutrients and fat-soluble vitamins are also associated with milk fat, and, thus, decreased fat delivery may have further nutrition implications for neonates.…”

“…A known challenge of enteral feeding pumps is fat deposition on the feeding circuit, resulting in fat loss, which accounts for up to 55% of energy content of human milk and provides the most energy dense energy 3–5 . The reduction in fat delivery is exacerbated when feeds are delivered over an extended period of time, which is a common practice in many NICUs because of feeding intolerance 6,7 . This fat loss can be detrimental to premature infants because insufficient energy intake leads to postnatal growth failure and is associated with increased morbidity, 8,9 whereas improved energy delivery is associated with improved neurodevelopmental outcomes in high‐risk preterm infants 10 .…”