A standardized nutrition approach for very low birth weight neonates improves outcomes, reduces cost and is not associated with increased rates of necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis or mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To assess how a standard practice for nutrition support in very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates would impact on their hospital course. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective, single center, before vs after comparison of a non-standardized approach to nutrition in VLBW neonates to a standardized approach. Standardization of feeding initiation, feeding volume and caloric advancement, management of feeding aspirates (residuals), use of starter parenteral nutrition (PN), use of breast milk and donor breast milk, initiation and discontinuation of intravenous (IV) intralipids, documentation of protein use, and utilization of percutaneously inserted central venous catheters were performed. Multiple outcome measures were evaluated. Fisher's exact, Mann-Whitney U-tests and χ(2) tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULT: Sixty-nine infants in the pre-standardization (non-standardized) group were compared with 154 infants in the standardized approach group. Analysis was performed for each group as a whole. Statistically significant improvements were seen in multiple areas for the standardized group including the day of life birth weight was regained (P<0.0005), use of breast milk as the initial feeding (P<0.0001), use of starter PN on admission (P<0.0001), earlier time for initiation of PN (P<0.0001), decreased use of PN overall (P<0.0001), enteral protein use (P<0.0001), earlier time for initiation of IV intralipids (P<0.002), day of life for full enteral feeds (P<0.0005) and first day for initiation of enteral feeds (P<0.0001). Fewer infants born microcephalic at birth remained so at discharge in the standardized group as compared with the pre-standardized group (P<0.02). Similarly, less infants born small for gestational age at birth remained so at discharge in the standardized group as compared with the pre-standardized group (P<0.05). Two cases of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) occurred in the pre-standardization group and one in the standardized group. No coagulase-negative Staphlococcal infections or line infections occurred during the entire study period. Two cases of sepsis occurred in the pre-standardization group, both in infants <750 g. No cases of sepsis occurred in the standardized group. Cost savings were remarkable from decreased PN usage in the standard group. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a standardized approach to nutrition in VLBW infants reduces the use of PN thereby reducing cost, causes a more rapid regain of birth weight, decreases the number of babies that are small for gestational age and microcephalic at discharge, and decreases the time to full enteral feeds. No adverse increases in mortality, sepsis, NEC, coagulase-negative Staphlococcal infections or line infections occurred.

Frequent breastfeeding and food refusal associated with failure to thrive. A manifestation of the vulnerable child syndrome.

This paper acquaints pediatricians and health care personnel with the triad of poor weight gain, frequent breastfeeding, and food refusal in infants during the second 6 months of life. The histories of six infants aged 8-11 months, with failure to thrive, food refusal, and frequent breastfeeding, are presented. All the mothers were facing significant stresses, which may have decreased their breast milk supply, and were leading them to use breastfeeding for their comfort and/or the comfort of their infant. The infants responded with continued frequent breastfeeding, refusal of complementary foods, and decreased weight gain. These infants fit the characteristics of the vulerable child syndrome. Treatment of these infants required evaluation and treatment of the mothers' psychosocial issues along with a behavioral feeding program. Even with this multidisciplinary approach, these infants showed very slow catch-up growth. Pediatricians and health care personnel should use and build on this information in the evaluation and treatment of infants with similar problems.

Oxygen desaturation complicates feeding in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia after discharge.

Recurrent episodes of hypoxemia may affect the growth, cardiac function, neurologic outcome, and survival of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). As oral feeding might stress these infants by compromising pulmonary function even after hospital discharge, we measured oxygen saturation (SaO2) via pulse oximetry before, during the initial 10 minutes of, and immediately after oral feeding in 11 patients with BPD, 12 very low birth weight infants, and 23 healthy full-term infants. All infants with BPD had been previously discharged from the hospital after weaning from supplemental oxygen. Studies were done at a mean postconceptional age of 43 weeks while the infants were fed at home by one of their parents. Levels of SaO2 for the three groups were comparable before and during feeds. After feeding, the infants with BPD had significantly lower mean levels of SaO2 (84 +/- 8% [SD] vs 93 +/- 4% and 93 +/- 3%, respectively; P less than .01). They also spent more time after feeding with an SaO2 less than 90% (64 +/- 34% of time vs 27 +/- 33% for the very low birth weight and 22 +/- 20% for the term group; P less than .01) and greater time with an SaO2 less than 80% (37 +/- 28% vs 4 +/- 10% and 4 +/- 8%, respectively; P less than .01). Desaturation in infants with BPD was related to larger volume and faster oral intake during feeding. Thus, the data indicate that desaturation after feeding remains a recurrent problem for survivors of BPD after discharge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Behavioral assessment and management of food refusal in children with cystic fibrosis.

Four children with cystic fibrosis, ranging in age from 10 to 40 months, were admitted to a specialized pediatric unit for evaluation and treatment of malnutrition. All were below the fifth percentile for weight despite appropriate pancreatic enzyme replacement and outpatient nutritional counseling. Dietary evaluation revealed oral intake of 48% to 62% of that required for growth. Standardized nursing and psychological assessments of feeding behaviors during meals indicated a low acceptance rate of foods and a high rate of maladaptive feeding behaviors. Treatment consisted of behavioral management using positive reinforcement of food acceptance, extinction of negative behaviors, and parent training. Mean percentage of caloric intake increased from 54% to 92% for the four patients. At long-term follow-up, the patients who continued the program demonstrated substantial and persistent catch-up growth. Behavioral feeding disorders may contribute to failure to thrive in patients with cystic fibrosis and must be considered when growth failure occurs despite correct medical management and apparently mild pulmonary and gastrointestinal involvement.