Early individualised parenteral nutrition for preterm infants
Abstract
Considerable effort has to be put into optimizing parenteral nutrition of preterm infants in order to limit the development of postnatal growth restriction. By using a monocentric before-and-after study design, we determined the effects of computerizing parenteral nutrition (CPN) ordering on the composition of PN solutions and early clinical outcomes of preterm infants born ≤28 weeks of gestation. Parenteral protein intake during the first week of life and parenteral lipid, glucose and energy intakes during the first and second week of life were significantly higher in the CPN group than in the control group. This led to a significant reduction of the cumulative energy deficit over the first 28 days of life and to an improvement of both early growth and pulmonary outcome. Computerizing the PN ordering process improves the nutrient content of the PN solutions and early postnatal outcome.
