Changes of the nitrogen balance in premature infants with extrauterine growth restriction / 中华临床营养杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe changes of the nitrogen balance in premature infants with extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) during hospitalization.Methods We selected a total of 64 very preterm (VP) infants admitted to Neonatal Medical Center of Huai'an Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital affiliated to School of Medicine, Yangzhou University within 24 hours after birth and with gestational age ＜ 32 weeks from May to October 2014, and divided them into EUGR group (n =18) and non-EUGR group (n =46) according to the diagnostic criteria of EUGR.All of the infants' urea nitrogen levels were detected by Kjeldahl method on the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 28th days after birth, and nitrogen balance scores were calculated and compared between the EUGR and non-EUGR groups.Results Nitrogen balance scores of the two groups were all negative on the 1 st, 7th, 14th, and 28th days after birth, with a tendency rising with days.A significant difference was showed in the intra-group comparison in EUGR group on the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 28th days after birth (-492.66 ±204.39,-290.79 ± 173.78,-205.96 ± 180.59, and-145.14 ± 140.15, respectively, F =53.086, P =0.000), so was in the non-EUGR group (-383.41 ± 130.57,-278.91 ±225.80,-182.00 ± 144.70, and-61.08 ±49.71, respectively, F =41.745, P =0.000).At each observation time point after death, the nitrogen balance score in the EUGR group was lower than in the non-EUGR group, and the differences on the 1st and 28th days were statistically significant (both P ＜ 0.05);while those on the other time points were not statistically significant (both P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The VP infants are at a negative nitrogen balance during hospitalization, among whom the EUGR premature infants may be more serious.