Impact of a targeted volume-increase nutrition guideline on growth and body mass index in premature infants: A retrospective review.

Background: The negative impact of disproportionate growth in premature infants is well documented, but optimal nutrition practices needed to prevent an unhealthy body mass index (BMI) remain unclear.

Methods: An evidence-based, volume-increase guideline that advanced feeding volumes from 150-160 to 170-180 ml/kg/day between the postmenstrual age (PMA) of 31 0/7 and 34 0/7 weeks was implemented in October 2017 for infants born at ≤32 0/7 weeks' gestational age. Data were collected on 262 infants' weight and length at birth and at discharge for 20 months before and 21 months after guideline implementation, and retrospective analysis was conducted to determine disproportionate growth by comparing BMIs (in g/cm² ) at birth and at discharge. Changes in infants' body habitus were determined through bivariate analysis of weight and length z-scores from the Fenton growth curve.

Results: Implementation of a targeted volume nutrition guideline resulted in fewer infants with growth failure, defined as weight <10th percentile (19.5% vs 11.2%; P = .06) at discharge. Infants who received treatment according to the targeted nutrition guideline had a statistically significant reduction in disproportionately low BMI (8.6% vs 2.5%; P = .0380) and an increase in disproportionately high BMIs (4.3% vs 12.3%; P = .025). There was minor change in the percentage of disproportionately large infants who received the guidelines from birth to discharge (11.5% vs 12.3%).

Conclusions: A targeted volume-increase nutrition guideline may prevent growth failure, with some effects on disproportionate growth in preterm infants born at ≤32 0/7 weeks' gestational age.