Research update:

Feeding premature infants for optimal intestinal growth:
How much enteral feeding is enough?

Premature infants who must rely on intravenous feedings to survive might benefit from receiving more of their early nutrition orally via tube feedings, according to a recent CNRC study.

"Newborn preemies usually start receiving small amounts of oral tube feedings within days of life to help stimulate intestinal growth and development," said CNRC researcher, Dr. Douglas Burrin. "But until now there has been little research to determine the optimum starting point for these feedings."

Cross-section of a healthy, piglet intestine. Intestine of a piglet fed only by vein (TPN) is less well developed.

Burrin studied the effect of varying levels of oral versus intravenous feedings on the intestinal growth of newborn piglets, whose gastrointestinal development and function are similar to that of human infants. He discovered that the piglets' intestinal tissues did not significantly increase in size, protein content or weight-all measures of growth-until oral feedings provided 40 percent of their total nutritional needs. The usual oral feeding starting point for premature infants is 10 to 15 percent of total nutritional needs.

"Intestinal growth is just one factor that doctors who work with newborn premature infants must consider when determining how much nutrition will be given orally," Burrin said. "But, we believe our research lays the groundwork for clinical studies that determine whether some premature infants would benefit from higher levels of early oral feedings."

Because certain nutrients, such as amino acids, play a key role in intestinal growth, Burrin is now defining the optimal nutrient mix and amounts to promote intestinal growth and function in his piglets.

The details of this study were recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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