Multivariate Analysis of Factors Associated with Feeding Mother's Own Milk at Discharge in Preterm Infants: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a predictive model of feeding mother's own milk (MOM) at discharge using social determinants of health (SDOH), maternal and neonatal factors after deliveries at <33 weeks of gestational age (GA), or birth weight <1,500 g. STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort in an inner-city hospital before (Epoch-1, 2018-2019) and after (Epoch-2, 2020-2021) implementing a donor human milk (DHM) program. RESULTS: Among 986 neonates, 495 were born in Epoch-1 (320 Hispanic White, 142 Non-Hispanic Black, and 33 Other) and 491 in Epoch-2 (327, 137, and 27, respectively). Feeding any MOM was less frequent in infants of non-Hispanic Black mothers than in those of Hispanic mothers (p < 0.05) but did not change with epoch (p = 0.46). Among infants who received any MOM, continued feeding MOM to the time of discharge was less frequent in infants of non-Hispanic Black mothers versus those of Hispanic mothers, 94/237 (40%) versus 339/595 (57%; p < 0.05), respectively. In multivariate analysis including SDOH and maternal variables, the odds of feeding MOM at discharge were lower with SDOH including neighborhoods with higher poverty levels, multiparity, substance use disorder, non-Hispanic Black versus Hispanic and young maternal age and increased with GA but did not change after implementing DHM. The predictive model including SDOH, maternal and early neonatal variables had good discrimination (area under the curve 0.85) and calibration and was internally validated. It showed the odds of feeding MOM at discharge were lower in infants of non-Hispanic Black mothers and with feeding DHM, higher need for respiratory support and later initiation of feeding MOM. CONCLUSION: Feeding MOM at discharge was associated with SDOH, and maternal and neonatal factors but did not change after implementing DHM. Disparity in feeding MOM at discharge was explained by less frequent initiation and shorter duration of feeding MOM but not by later initiation of feeding MOM. KEY POINTS: · In this cohort study of preterm infants, factors of feeding MOM at discharge included (1) SDOH; (2) postnatal age at initiation of feeding MOM; and (3) maternal and neonatal factors.. · Feeding MOM at the time of discharge was less frequent in infants of non-Hispanic Black mothers versus those of Hispanic mothers.. · Disparity in feeding MOM at discharge was explained by less frequent initiation and shorter duration of MOM feeding but not by later postnatal age at initiation of feeding MOM..

Development of a Prediction Model for Surgery or Early Mortality at the Time of Initial Assessment for Necrotizing Enterocolitis.

OBJECTIVE: No available scale, at the time of initial evaluation for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), accurately predicts, that is, with an area under the curve (AUC) ≥0.9, which preterm infants will undergo surgery for NEC stage III or die within a week. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study (n = 261) of preterm infants with <33 weeks' gestation or <1,500 g birthweight with either suspected or with definite NEC born at Parkland Hospital between 2009 and 2021. A prediction model using the new HASOFA SCORE (H: yperglycemia, H: yperkalemia, use of inotropes for H: ypotension during the prior week, A: cidemia, Neonatal S: equential O: rgan F: ailure A: ssessment [nSOFA: ] score) was compared with a similar model using the nSOFA score. RESULTS: Among 261 infants, 112 infants had NEC stage I, 68 with NEC stage II, and 81 with NEC stage III based on modified Bell's classification. The primary outcome, surgery for NEC stage III or death within a week, occurred in 81 infants (surgery in 66 infants and death in 38 infants). All infants with pneumoperitoneum or abdominal compartment syndrome either died or had surgery. The HASOFA and the nSOFA scores were evaluated in 254 and 253 infants, respectively, at the time of the initial workup for NEC. Both models were internally validated. The HASOFA model was a better predictor of surgery for NEC stage III or death within a week than the nSOFA model, with greater AUC 0.909 versus 0.825, respectively, p < 0.001. Combining HASOFA at initial assessment with concurrent or later presence of abdominal wall erythema or portal gas improved the prediction surgery for NEC stage III or death with AUC 0.942 or 0.956, respectively. CONCLUSION: Using this new internally validated prediction model, surgery for NEC stage III or death within a week can be accurately predicted at the time of initial assessment for NEC. KEY POINTS: · No available scale, at initial evaluation, accurately predicts which preterm infants will undergo surgery for NEC stage III or die within a week.. · In this retrospective cohort study of 261 preterm infants with either suspected or definite NEC we developed a new prediction model (HASOFA score).. · The HASOFA-model had high discrimination (AUC 0.909) and excellent calibration and was internally validated..

Follow-up of a randomized trial optimizing neonatal nutrition in preterm very low birthweight infants: growth, serum adipokines, renal function and blood pressure.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objectives were to compare body mass index (BMI) Z-score (Z), systolic blood pressure (SBP), serum leptin:adiponectin (L:A) ratio and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at ~3 years adjusted age between two arms of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing two modes of human milk fortification for very low-birthweight infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. STUDY DESIGN: Follow-up of RCT at 33-48 months. RESULTS: Follow-up data are available in 82/120 infants. Infants in the experimental arm have anthropometric data consistent with central obesity and higher serum L:A ratio (sensitivity analysis adjusting for sex and using all available data), but have similar eGFR and SBP at follow-up compared with controls. Serum L:A ratio is strongly correlated with anthropometric measurements suggesting central obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Infants in the experimental arm have central obesity and higher serum L:A ratio compared with controls. Notably, serum L:A ratio is strongly correlated with weight gain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This randomized controlled trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02372136.

Impact of fetal inflammatory response on the severity of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: Neonates born with fetal inflammatory response (FIR) are at increased risk for adverse neonatal outcomes. Our objective was to determine whether FIR and its severity is associated with severity of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants. METHODS: A case-control retrospective study of infants <33 weeks gestational age or <1500 g birthweight, including 260 with stage I-III NEC and 520 controls matched for gestational age. Placental pathology was evaluated, and FIR progression and its severity were defined according to Amsterdam classification. RESULTS: In this study, mild FIR (i.e., stage 1 FIR) was present in 52 controls (10.0%) and 22 infants with stage I-III NEC (8.5%), while moderate to severe FIR (i.e., ≥stage 2 FIR) was present in 16 controls (3.1%) and 47 infants with stage I-III NEC (18.1%). Both stage and grade of FIR were associated with stage of NEC (P < 0.001). On multinomial logistic regression, stage III NEC was associated with stage of FIR (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This is the first report demonstrating the association between progression and increasing severity of FIR and stage of NEC. IMPACT: Fetal Inflammatory Response (FIR) and its progression and severity are associated with the stages of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This is the first study demonstrating the impact of progression and severity of FIR on stage III NEC. These observations provide additional insight into understanding the impact of intrauterine exposure to inflammation on the severity of NEC in preterm infants.

Impact of Size for Gestational Age on Multivariate Analysis of Factors Associated with Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants: Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) primarily affects preterm, especially small for gestational age (SGA), infants. This study was designed to (1) describe frequency and timing of NEC in SGA versus non-SGA infants and (2) assess whether NEC is independently associated with the severity of intrauterine growth failure. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of infants without severe congenital malformations born <33 weeks' gestational age (GA) carried out from 2009 to 2021. The frequency and time of NEC were compared between SGA and non-SGA infants. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess whether NEC was independently associated with intrauterine growth restriction. Severe growth restriction was defined as birth weight Z-score < -2. RESULTS: Among 2,940 infants, the frequency of NEC was higher in SGA than in non-SGA infants (25/268 [9.3%] vs. 110/2,672 [4.1%], respectively, p < 0.001). NEC developed 2 weeks later in SGA than non-SGA infants. In multivariate analysis, the adjusted odds of NEC increased with extreme prematurity (<28 weeks' GA) and with severe but not moderate growth restriction. The adjusted odds of NEC increased with urinary tract infection or sepsis within a week prior to NEC, were lower in infants fed their mother's own milk until discharge, and did not change over five epochs. NEC was independently associated with antenatal steroid (ANS) exposure in infants with birth weight (BW) Z-score < 0. CONCLUSION: NEC was more frequent in SGA than in non-SGA infants and developed 2 weeks later in SGA infants. NEC was independently associated with severe intrauterine growth failure and with ANS exposure in infants with BW Z-score < 0. KEY POINTS: · We studied 2,940 infants <33 weeks' GA.. · We assessed NEC.. · NEC was more frequent in SGA infants.. · NEC occurred 2 weeks later in SGA infants.. · NEC was associated with severe growth restriction..

Relationship between Ventricular Size on Latest Ultrasonogram and the Bayley Scores ≥ 18 Months in Extremely Low Gestational Age Neonates: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: A ventricle-to-brain index (VBI) >0.35 is associated with low scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III) in preterm infants with birth weight <1,250 g. However, VBI obtained at the third ventricle has only moderate interobserver reliability. The objective of this study was to test (1) reliability of VBI measured at the foramen of Monro on the latest ultrasonogram (US) before discharge using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and (2) the relationship between VBI and BSID-III scores at ≥18 months corrected age. STUDY DESIGN: The present study is a single-center retrospective cohort study. RESULTS: The study included 270 preterm infants born at 230/7 to 286/7 weeks of gestational age. The ICC of VBI between independent measurements by two study radiologists on the first 50 patients was 0.934. Factors associated with the value of VBI included severe intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and systemic steroid administration for BPD but not postmenstrual age. In multivariate analysis, VBI was negatively and independently associated with cognitive (p = 0.002), language (p = 0.004), and motor (p < 0.001) BSID-III scores. The association between VBI and BSID-III scores was observed even in infants in whom the latest US was obtained before term equivalent age. The association between VBI and BSID-III scores was also observed after excluding those with severe intraventricular hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: In this very preterm cohort the measurement of VBI had excellent reliability. Moreover, VBI measurements were negatively associated with motor, language, and cognitive BSID-III scores. KEY POINTS: · Mean values of VBI are stable with postmenstrual age.. · Values at the foramen of Monro are reliable and reproducible.. · VBI is negatively associated with Bayley scores.. · The association is observed even before term age..

Effects of prophylactic probiotics supplementation on infants born very preterm or very low birth weight.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of guideline-driven prophylactic supplementation of a multi-strain neonatal intensive care unit-specific probiotic product on infants born very preterm (VP) or very low birth weight (VLBW). STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cohort of 125 infants born in one year after implementation who received probiotics were compared to a retrospective cohort of eligible 126 VP or VLBW infants who did not receive probiotics. The primary outcome of interest was necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). RESULT: The incidence of NEC decreased from 6.3 to 1.6%. After adjusting for multiple variables, there were no significant differences in primary or other outcomes of interest; odds ratio (95% confidence interval) NEC 0.27 (0.05-1.33), death 0.76 (0.26-2.21) and late-onset sepsis 0.54 (0.18-1.63). No adverse effects related to probiotics supplementation were observed. CONCLUSION: Although nonsignificant, prophylactic probiotics supplementation in infants born VP or VLBW was associated with reduction of NEC.

Growth after implementing a donor breast milk program in neonates <33 weeks gestational age or birthweight <1500 grams: Retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Donor breast milk (DBM) feeding has been associated with less growth than formula in preterm infants. Zinc content in DBM is insufficient to support growth in preterm infants. OBJECTIVE: To compare growth from birth to discharge, macro- and micronutrient intake and the frequency of poor growth before (Epoch-1) and after (Epoch-2) implementing a DBM program. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 1069 infants born at < 33 weeks' gestational age or birthweight < 1500 g and fed using our adjustable feeding protocol with accurate serial length measurements. Growth was assessed by changes in Z-scores of weight, length and fronto-occipital circumference from birth to discharge. RESULTS: Growth did not decrease significantly in Epoch-2. However, energy and protein intake increased by 5% and frequency of zinc and vitamin D supplementation increased by >30%. CONCLUSIONS: DBM implementation did not significantly decrease growth from birth to discharge using our adjustable feeding protocol.

Double-blinded randomized controlled trial of optimizing nutrition in preterm very low birth weight infants: Bayley scores at 18-38 months of age.

BACKGROUND: Human milk supplementation for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be based on optimized nutrition (feeding adjustments based on growth and measurements of serum nutrients) or individualized nutrition (measurements of macronutrients in mother's own milk). OBJECTIVE: To compare Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III) at 18-38mo adjusted age in infants who had been randomly allocated to individualized+optimized nutrition (experimental group) vs optimized nutrition alone (control) in the NICU. METHODS: Double-blinded randomized controlled trial in neonates <29wks gestational age (GA) and those <34wks GA and small for GA. RESULTS: Bayley scores were assessed in 91/114 (80%) infants. The two study groups had similar frequencies of low cognitive, motor and language Bayley scores and similar age-adjusted Bayley scores in bivariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The type of human milk supplementation provided had no significant effect on Bayley scores assessed at 18-38mo. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This randomized controlled trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02372136.

Quality improvement project designed to reduce disproportionate growth in extremely low gestational age neonates: cognitive neurodevelopmental outcome at 18-41 months.

OBJECTIVE: To assess if the adjusted odds of low composite cognitive Bayley-III scores changed after implementing a single-institution quality improvement (QI) project designed to decrease discharge Z-scores for weight, body mass index (BMI), and weight-for-length, but not length or fronto-occipital circumference (FOC) in infants 23-28 weeks gestational age (GA). METHODS: Compare Bayley-III outcomes at ≥18 months corrected age (postnatal age adjusted for prematurity) in infants tested before (Epoch-1) and after (Epoch-2) QI implementation. RESULTS: Bayley testing was available in 134/156 infants (86%) in Epoch-1 and 139/175 (79%) in Epoch-2. There was no change in frequency of low (<85) cognitive score (p = 0.5) or in median cognitive scores (80 in Epoch-1 vs. 85 Epoch-2, p = 0.35). The adjusted odds of low cognitive scores was not different between Epochs. CONCLUSION: No change in cognitive outcome at ≥18 months corrected age was observed after implementing a QI project designed to reduce discharge weight-for-length disproportion in very preterm infants.