Pediatria pre prax 6/2010

Nutrition of preterm infants

Advances in medicine led to a dramatic increase in survival rates of preterm neonates and intrauterine growth retarded infants. The aim od nutritional support of preterm neonates is to provide quality of nutrition replicating intrauterinne growth. EPSGHAN (Committee on Nutrition of the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition) in 2010 has made a new guideline on quantity and quality of nutrients needed for preterm infants. According to this guideline the preferred food for premature infants is fortified human milk or alternatively postdischarge formula for premature infants until postconceptional age of 40 – 52 weeks. Monitoring rates of growth, measurement of weight, head circumference and length together with biochemical markers in bood and urine (blood urea nitrogen, calcium, phosphorous, hematocrit) provide valuable information for nutritional intervention in order to improve the growth and neurodevelopment in the long term perspective.

Keywords: preterm neonate, EPSGHAN, nutrition, growth, brest milk fortification, postdischarge formula.