[Anthropometric and biochemical indices in the nutritional assessment of the newborn with extremely low weight]. / Índices antropométricos y bioquímicos en la valoración nutricional del neonato de peso muy bajo.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate anthropometric and biochemical indices of the nutritional status of newborn with extremely low weight. METHODS: It was carried out a cohort study with 10 patients included, of both sexes, and weight at birth between 700-1200 g, who were under treatment with parenteral nutrition (PN), and/or minimal enteric stimulus (MES). RESULTS: Nine patients (90 %) received PN plus MES. One patient received only oral or enteric nutrition. Daily increase in weight was 7-23.8 g with an average of 15.6 g. In size, weekly increase was 0.30-1.5 cm with an average of 0.78 cm. In cephalic perimeter, the weekly increase was between 0.1-1.1 cm weekly with an average of 0.57 cm. Once the PN treatment was stopped and the patients were managed only with oral feeding, the weigh increases ranged between 12.5-35 g per day with an average of 22.7 g/day; height increased weekly from 0.45 to 1.1 cm, with an average of 0.89 cm/week; cephalic perimeter increased weekly from 0.45 to 1.3 cm, with an average of 0.80 cm. All the patients (100 %) had a positive nitrogen balance. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of PN and MES is a useful strategy in order to keep a positive nitrogen balance and promote the increase in weight, size and cephalic perimeter so that the newborn could get the rate of growth in utero.

OBJETIVO: evaluar los índices antropométricos y bioquímicos del neonato de peso extremadamente bajo. MÉTODOS: estudio de cohorte en el que se evaluaron 10 pacientes con peso al nacer entre 700 y 1200 g, a quienes se les proporcionó nutrición parenteral y enteral. RESULTADOS: 90 % de los recién nacidos recibió nutrición parenteral más estímulo enteral mínimo, con los que registró un incremento diario de peso de 7 a 23 g, con una media de 15.6 g; en la talla, el incremento fue de 0.30 a 1.5 cm semanales, con una media de 0.78 cm; y en el perímetro cefálico, entre 0.1 y 1.1 cm semanales, con una media de 0.57 cm. Al suspender la nutrición parenteral y administrar vía oral exclusiva, el incremento del peso osciló entre 12.5 y 35 g diarios, con una media de 22.7 g; la talla aumentó de 0.45 a 1.1 cm semanales, con una media de 0.89 cm; el perímetro cefálico, de 0.45 a 1.3 cm semanales, con una media de 0.80 cm. Todos los neonatos tuvieron balance nitrogenado positivo. CONCLUSIONES: se debe iniciar la nutrición parental total desde el primer contacto con el paciente y, de ser posible, el estímulo enteral mínimo para mantener un balance nitrogenado positivo y favorecer el aumento de peso, talla y perímetro cefálico para alcanzar la tasa de crecimiento in utero.

Docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acid levels in extremely low birth weight infants with prolonged exposure to intravenous lipids.

OBJECTIVE: To report changes in red blood cell long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids levels in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants relative to duration of intravenous lipid emulsion. STUDY DESIGN: Serial blood samples were collected from 26 ELBW infants during the first 2 months of life in the neonatal intensive care unit using a prospective cohort study design. The primary outcome was the change in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids levels over the study period relative to a duration of intravenous lipid emulsion of either ≤ 28 days or >28 days. Secondary outcomes included parenteral and enteral nutritional exposures as well as prematurity-associated morbidities. Longitudinal regression estimated changes in fatty acid levels between the 2 exposure groups. RESULTS: Infants with >28 days intravenous lipid emulsion had 36 more days of intravenous lipid emulsion than did those with ≤ 28 days (P < .001). Docosahexaenoic acid significantly decreased over time in all infants and decreased significantly more in infants exposed to intravenous lipid emulsion for >28 days (P = .03). Arachidonic acid significantly decreased over the study period but the decrease was not related to intravenous lipid emulsion duration. Linoleic and α-linolenic acids had significantly larger increases over time in those with longer exposure to intravenous lipid emulsion (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Docosahexaenoic acid status of ELBW infants declined significantly in the first 2 months of life and the decline was significantly greater in those exposed to intravenous lipid emulsion >28 days compared with those exposed ≤ 28 days.

Cytokines and neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if selected pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and/or mediators of inflammation reported to be related to the development of cerebral palsy (CP) predict neurodevelopmental outcome in extremely low birth weight infants. STUDY DESIGN: Infants with birth weights ≤1000 g (n = 1067) had blood samples collected at birth and on days 3 ± 1, 7 ± 1, 14 ± 3, and 21 ± 3 to examine the association between cytokines and neurodevelopmental outcomes. The analyses were focused on 5 cytokines (interleukin [IL] 1ß; IL-8; tumor necrosis factor-α; regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed, and secreted (RANTES); and IL-2) reported to be most predictive of CP in term and late preterm infants. RESULTS: IL-8 was higher on days 0-4 and subsequently in infants who developed CP compared with infants who did not develop CP in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Other cytokines (IL-12, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-ß, soluble IL rα, macrophage inflammatory protein 1ß) were found to be altered on days 0-4 in infants who developed CP. CONCLUSIONS: CP in former preterm infants may, in part, have a late perinatal and/or early neonatal inflammatory origin.

Early changes in plasma amino acid concentrations during aggressive nutritional therapy in extremely low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the changes in plasma amino acid (AA) concentrations over time when extremely low birth weight infants are provided either a standard intravenous AA supplementation (standard AA) or an early and high supplementation regimen (early and high AA). STUDY DESIGN: Sixty-two infants were enrolled at birth in a randomized, double-masked, prospective fashion and treated for 7 days. The infants with standard AA concentrations received intravenous AA starting at 0.5 g/kg/d and increased by 0.5 g/kg every day to a maximum of 3 g/kg/d. Infants in the early and high AA group received 2 g/kg/d of intravenous AA soon after birth and advanced by 1 g/kg every day to 4 g/kg/d. Plasma AA concentrations were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography on days 1, 3, and 7. RESULTS: Total AA concentrations, total essential AA concentrations, and total nonessential AA concentrations were significantly higher in the infants in the early and high AA group; essential AA concentrations and total AA concentrations were higher at 1 and 3 days, and nonessential AA concentrations were different only on day 3. There were significant differences between standard AA and early and high AA groups for all AA concentrations except the nonessential AAs Glu, Asn, Gly, Gln, Ala, and Tyr and the conditionally essential AA Cys. CONCLUSION: Infants who received early and higher parenteral AA had higher plasma AA concentrations.