A Narrative Review of Strategies to Optimize Nutrition, Feeding, and Growth among Preterm-born Infants: Implications for Practice.

Abstract

Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal and under-five mortality globally, and healthcare-related burden and nutrition-related morbidities are unsustainable, particularly among resource-limited regions. Additionally, preterm infants are susceptible to multiple adverse outcomes including growth faltering, sub-optimal neurodevelopment, and multi-systemic morbidities. Maturation, healing, repair, and restoration to normalcy in preterm-born infants require optimizing nutrition; only then, prognosis, growth, neurodevelopment, and overall quality of life can improve. In this article, we discuss the various evidence-based feeding and nutritional strategies that can be applicable even in resource-limited settings, where resources and infrastructure for advanced neonatal care are limited. This article addressed nutrition, feeding strategies, and growth monitoring in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and at discharge to optimize nutrition, growth, and development. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Nutritional and growth assessment, as well as optimizing nutrition in preterm-born infants is a significant problem worldwide. We reviewed pertinent recent literature and provided up-to-date information for interdisciplinary teams including dietitians, nurses, feeding therapists, and physicians.