Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of continuous and intermittent bolus milk feeding on splanchnic regional oxygenation (rSO₂S) in small-for-gestational age (SGA) and appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) preterm infants.
Methods: Infants with gestational age <32 weeks were prospectively studied by near-infrared spectroscopy. Each infant was given a milk bolus in ~10 minutes (intermittent feeding) followed after 3 hours by a 3-hour continuous feeding. rO₂S and splanchnic fractional oxygen extraction ratio (FOES [S = splanchnic]) were recorded 30 minutes before (T₀) and 30 minutes after the beginning of bolus feeding (T₁), 30 minutes before (T₂), at the end (T₃), and 30 minutes after the continuous feeding period (T₄).
Results: rSO2S increased at T₁ in both AGA and SGA groups, whereas FOES did not vary during the study period. Moreover, we found that rSO2S was higher and FOES was lower at T₁ and T₃ in the AGA than in the SGA group.
Conclusions: Bolus milk feeding increases splanchnic oxygenation in both AGA and SGA infants, whereas continuous feeding does not. Splanchnic oxygenation is higher in AGA than in SGA infants both during bolus and continuous feeding. Continuous enteral feeding could help to limit the risk of hypoxic-ischemic gut damage in preterm infants in critical condition, especially in AGA infants.