Complementary feeding in infants born preterm: Aspects needing improvement

Marta Meneghelli; Silvia Toniazzo; Elena Priante; Maria Elena Cavicchiolo; Francesca De Terlizzi; Paola Gaio; Paolo Spinella; Giovanna Verlato

doi:10.1002/jpr3.12032

Complementary feeding in infants born preterm: Aspects needing improvement

JPGN Rep. 2024 Jan 4;5(1):43-49. doi: 10.1002/jpr3.12032. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Authors

Marta Meneghelli¹, Silvia Toniazzo², Elena Priante¹, Maria Elena Cavicchiolo¹, Francesca De Terlizzi³, Paola Gaio⁴, Paolo Spinella², Giovanna Verlato¹

Affiliations

¹ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-Paediatric Nutrition Service, Department of Women's and Children's Health University Hospital of Padova Padova Italy.
² Department of Medicine, Clinical Nutrition Unit University of Padova Padova Italy.
³ Laboratory of Clinical Biophysics IGEA Modena Italy.
⁴ Unit of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Digestive Endoscopy, Hepatology and Care of the Child with Liver Transplantation, Department of Women's and Children's Health University Hospital of Padova Padova Italy.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to collect data on complementary feeding (CF) in preterm infants (PIs).

Methods: We enrolled PI ≤ 34 weeks of gestational age discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the University Hospital of Padova. At 12 months of corrected age (CA), CF was investigated with questionnaires to the parents and a 24-h dietary recall. In a subgroup of newborns, we also evaluated bone status at a CA of 12 months using quantitative ultrasound.

Results: We studied 167 ex PI at 1 year of CA. CF was introduced in 67.1% of them between 5 and 8 months of chronological age, with fruit as the first food (81%, n = 136). Sweet drinks were consumed by 17.4% of our sample, and salt was added in 33.5% of cases. PIs, at 1 year CA, introduced extra energy compared to the theoretical requirement (121 ± 31 kcal/kg/day) and higher protein intake than recommended (39 ± 11 g/day), while the intake of both total lipids and carbohydrates was slightly lower. Vitamins and minerals were adequate, except vitamin D. Regarding bone status, we found a correlation between vitamin D intakes from the diet and bone parameters (metacarpus-bone transmission time: r = 0.36, p = 0.01) at 1 year of CA.

Conclusions: Our population of PIs started CF in agreement with current suggestions though with a notable heterogeneity and with some mistakes. Vitamin D intake was correlated with bone status at 1 year of CA.

Keywords: bone status; feeding after discharge; preterm infants.

© 2024 The Authors. JPGN Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.