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 enteral feeding and nosocomial sepsis in very low birthweight infants
Background : The interrelations between early enteral feeding , necrotising enterocolitis ( NEC ) , and nosocomial sepsis ( NS ) remain unclear . Objective : To evaluate the effect of age at the introduction of enteral feeding on the incidence of NS and NEC in very low birthweight ( VLBW < 1500 g ) infants . Methods : Data were collected on the pattern of enteral feeding  and perinatal and neonatal morbidity on all VLBW infants born in one centre during 1995–2001 .  Enteral feeding was compared between infants with and without NS and /or NEC . Results : The study sample included 385 infants . Of these , 163 ( 42 % ) developed NS and 35 ( 9 % ) developed NEC .  Enteral feeding was started at a significantly earlier mean ( SD ) age in infants who did not develop nosocomial sepsis ( 2.8 ( 2.6 ) v 4.8 ( 3.7 ) days , p = 0.0001 ) . Enteral feeding was introduced at the same age in babies who did or did not develop NEC ( 3.1 ( 2 ) v 3.7 ( 3 ) days , p = 0.28 ) . Over the study period , the mean annual age at the start of enteral feeding fell consistently , and this correlated with the mean annual incidence of NS ( r2 = 0.891 , p = 0.007 ) . Multiple logistic regression analysis showed age at start of enteral feeding , respiratory distress syndrome , and birth weight to be the most significant predictors of risk of NS ( p = 0.0005 , p = 0.024 , p = 0.011 ) . Conclusions : Early enteral feeding was associated with a reduced risk of NS but no change in the risk of NEC  in VLBW infants . These findings support the use of early enteral feeding in this high risk population , but this needs to be confirmed in a large r and omised controlled trial
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 .