Available trial data do not provide evidence that advancing enteral feed volumes at daily increments of 15 to 20 mL/kg ( compared with 30 to 40 mL/kg ) reduces the risk of NEC or death in very preterm or VLBW infants , extremely preterm or ELBW infants , SGA or growth-restricted infants , or infants with antenatal AREDFV .
Advancing the volume of enteral feeds at a slow rate results in several days of delay in establishing full enteral feeds and may increase the risk of invasive infection
BACKGROUND Early enteral feeding practice s are potentially modifiable risk factors for necrotising enterocolitis ( NEC ) in very preterm or very low birth weight ( VLBW ) infants .
Observational studies suggest that conservative feeding regimens , including slowly advancing enteral feed volumes , reduce the risk of NEC .
However , slow feed advancement may delay establishment of full enteral feeding and may be associated with metabolic and infectious morbidities secondary to prolonged exposure to parenteral nutrition .
OBJECTIVES To determine effects of slow rates of enteral feed advancement on the incidence of NEC , mortality , and other morbidities in very preterm or VLBW infants .
Early versus Late Enteral Feeding in Preterm Intrauterine Growth Restricted Neonates with Antenatal Doppler Abnormalities: An Open-Label Randomized Trial
Background of the study Enteral feeding in preterm neonates with intrauterine growth restriction ( IUGR ) and absent or reversed end diastolic flow ( AREDF ) on umbilical artery ( UA ) Doppler is delayed owing to an increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis ( NEC ) . Delaying enteral feeding with longer duration of parenteral nutrition ( PN ) carries an increased risk of sepsis . Objectives To study early versus late feeding in preterm IUGR neonates for time required to attain sufficient feed volume to discontinue PN and increased risk of NEC or feed intolerance ( FI ) . Design Open-label r and omized controlled trial . Setting Tertiary care neonatal unit and fetal-maternal medicine unit in India . Participants Preterm intrauterine growth restricted neonates ' ≤32 weeks with AREDF on UA Doppler enrolled from 1 January 2014 to 31 July 2015 . Intervention R and omized to receive early or late feeding using mothers own or donor breast milk as per a feed initiation and advancement protocol . Primary outcome Time in days required to attain sufficient feed volume allowing discontinuation of PN and incidence of NEC in neonates fed early versus late . Results There were 77 eligible neonates . Sixty-two neonates were included and stratified as extreme preterm ( 27 - 29 weeks ) ( n = 20 ) and very preterm ( 30 - 32 weeks ) ( n = 42 ) . Ten extreme preterm and 21 very preterm neonates were r and omized to each early feeding and late feeding arm . There was a significantly faster attainment of sufficient feeds in the early feeding arm of both the stratified groups [ extreme preterm : median 14 days ( Interquartile range IQR : 12 - 15 ) compared with 18 days ( IQR : 18 - 20 ) , hazard ratio ( HR ) : 1.59 , 95 % CI : 0.626 - 4.078 ; very preterm : 12 days ( IQR : 10 - 14 ) as compared with 16 days ( IQR 15 - 17 ) , HR : 1.89 , 95 % CI : 1.011 - 3.555 ] . There was no difference in the incidence of NEC , FI and combined outcome of NEC and FI . Conclusion Early feeding in preterm IUGR neonates with AREDF on antenatal UA Doppler allowed earlier discontinuation of PN , allowing birth weight to be regained earlier and did not increase the incidence of NEC and FI
Available trial data do not provide evidence that advancing enteral feed volumes at daily increments of 15 to 20 mL/kg ( compared with 30 to 40 mL/kg ) reduces the risk of NEC or death in very preterm or VLBW infants , extremely preterm or ELBW infants , SGA or growth-restricted infants , or infants with antenatal AREDFV .
Advancing the volume of enteral feeds at a slow rate results in several days of delay in establishing full enteral feeds and may increase the risk of invasive infection
BACKGROUND Early enteral feeding practice s are potentially modifiable risk factors for necrotising enterocolitis ( NEC ) in very preterm or very low birth weight ( VLBW ) infants .
Observational studies suggest that conservative feeding regimens , including slowly advancing enteral feed volumes , reduce the risk of NEC .
However , slow feed advancement may delay establishment of full enteral feeding and may be associated with metabolic and infectious morbidities secondary to prolonged exposure to parenteral nutrition .
OBJECTIVES To determine effects of slow rates of enteral feed advancement on the incidence of NEC , mortality , and other morbidities in very preterm or VLBW infants .