The administration of the adequate amount of nutrients helps to improve a correct short-term linear growth and long-term neurocognitive development. To reduce the extra-uterine growth delay in very low birth weight infants (VLBW) the best strategy of nutrition (parenteral or enteral) should be established rapidly, since the first day of life. In preterm infants, nutrition can be administered parenterally and enterally. Prematurity is the most frequent indication for parenteral nutritional support due to intestinal functional immune deficiency, deficiency of digestive enzymatic systems and reduced nutritional reserve of these infants. In terms of enteral nutrition, breast milk is the first choice. In case of preterm and VLBW infants, fortifiers are used to overcome breast milk's protein and mineral deficiencies. When breast milk is not available, specific infant formula is the alternative.
IntroductionThe improvement of neonatal care has led to an increase in the survival rate of very low birth weight infants (VLBW) infants (<1500 g). Nonetheless, growth failure is still a very frequent issue with incidence that ranges from 43 to 97% among various neonatal units. Thus, more aggressive nutritional strategies have been developed: first the parenteral nutrition then the enteral nutrition. Parenteral nutrition is often the only source of nutrients that can be used during the period of clinical instability. 1 Enteral nutrition must be gradually introduced as soon as possible; in presence of a good enteral tolerance, the parenteral nutrition should be rapidly discontinued, thus reducing its related side effects. 2
Parenteral nutritionAssuring an adequate nutrition to preterm infants is a real challenge, especially during the first hours after birth, when a total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is needed to meet the high nutritional requirements but it is often complicated by glucose and lipids intolerance. 3 Parenteral nutrition (PN) is an intravenous nutritional therapy that includes the administration of fluids, electrolytes, glucose, proteins, lipids, minerals, vitamins and oligo-elements. 4 It should be started as soon as possible within the first 24 hours of life. It can be prescribed in individualized or standardized administration; PN is provided through a central catheter (umbilical vein catheter or percutaneous central catheter) or, temporarily, via a peripheral route in the case of partial parenteral solutions and low osmolar load (<600 mOsm/L).
Fluids and electrolytesIn the first week of life changes occur in the extracellular and intracellular compartments, resulting in a redistribution of fluids. This is one of the reason that explains the weight loss (5-10% of birth weight) that usually takes place during the first days of life. The fluid intake in the newborn (VLBW) and very low birth weight (ELBW) starts with 80-90 mL/kg/day and then is gradually increased by 10-20 mL/kg/day up to 160-180 and 150-160 mL/kg/day, respectively. 2,5-8 Electrolytic supplementation usually begins on the third-fourth day of...