Nutrition, Growth, Brain Volume, and Neurodevelopment in Very Preterm Children.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the associations between nutrition in the first 28 days after birth with somatic growth from birth to term-equivalent age, brain volumes at term-equivalent age, and neurodevelopment at 24 months of corrected age. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study of 149 infants born from 2011 to 2014 at <30 weeks of gestation in a tertiary neonatal nursery in Australia. The following data were collected: average daily energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate intakes from birth until 28 days, and the difference in weight and head circumference z scores between birth and term-equivalent. Total brain tissue volumes were calculated from brain magnetic resonance imaging at term-equivalent age. Children were assessed at 2 years of corrected age with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition. Relationships of nutritional variables with growth, brain volumes, and cognitive, language, and motor development were explored using linear regression. RESULTS: Complete nutritional data were available for 116 (78%) of the cohort. A 1 g/kg/day higher mean protein intake was associated with a mean increase in weight z score per week of 0.05 (95% CI 0.05, 0.10; P = .04). There was a lack of evidence for associations of any nutritional variables with head circumference growth, with brain volumes at term-equivalent age, or with 2-year neurodevelopment. CONCLUSIONS: Only higher protein intakes in the first 28 days after birth were associated with better weight growth between birth and term-equivalent age in very preterm infants. Nutrition in the first 28 days was otherwise not substantially related to brain size or to neurodevelopmental outcomes.

A diet low in FODMAPs reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: A diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) often is used to manage functional gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), yet there is limited evidence of its efficacy, compared with a normal Western diet. We investigated the effects of a diet low in FODMAPs compared with an Australian diet, in a randomized, controlled, single-blind, cross-over trial of patients with IBS. METHODS: In a study of 30 patients with IBS and 8 healthy individuals (controls, matched for demographics and diet), we collected dietary data from subjects for 1 habitual week. Participants then randomly were assigned to groups that received 21 days of either a diet low in FODMAPs or a typical Australian diet, followed by a washout period of at least 21 days, before crossing over to the alternate diet. Daily symptoms were rated using a 0- to 100-mm visual analogue scale. Almost all food was provided during the interventional diet periods, with a goal of less than 0.5 g intake of FODMAPs per meal for the low-FODMAP diet. All stools were collected from days 17-21 and assessed for frequency, weight, water content, and King's Stool Chart rating. RESULTS: Subjects with IBS had lower overall gastrointestinal symptom scores (22.8; 95% confidence interval, 16.7-28.8 mm) while on a diet low in FODMAPs, compared with the Australian diet (44.9; 95% confidence interval, 36.6-53.1 mm; P < .001) and the subjects' habitual diet. Bloating, pain, and passage of wind also were reduced while IBS patients were on the low-FODMAP diet. Symptoms were minimal and unaltered by either diet among controls. Patients of all IBS subtypes had greater satisfaction with stool consistency while on the low-FODMAP diet, but diarrhea-predominant IBS was the only subtype with altered fecal frequency and King's Stool Chart scores. CONCLUSIONS: In a controlled, cross-over study of patients with IBS, a diet low in FODMAPs effectively reduced functional gastrointestinal symptoms. This high-quality evidence supports its use as a first-line therapy. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: ACTRN12612001185853.

Impact of nurse practitioners in primary healthcare fee-for-service practice settings.

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) role possesses a high value to Fee-For-Service (FFS) practices in the primary healthcare system. A case study evaluation of the NP roles in three FFS clinics showed positive impacts on patient satisfaction and physician experience. Physicians' FFS expenditures increased 12% after the NP implementation. Although NP services could provide cost savings to the acute care system, financial sustainability of the NP role in FFS practice remains a challenge.