Prematurity: tailored nutritional management for every preterm infant, based on ESPGHAN guidelines

Nutrition in early life is known to be a key determinant of immediate neonatal survival and for subsequent growth and mental development during infancy; it is also a major conditioning factor for long-term health^1-3. Preterm infants have greater nutritional requirements than their term-born peers, the extent of which varies according to the degree of prematurity and weight at birth. Meeting these specific requirements calls for tailored nutrition specific to each case.

TAILORED NUTRITION, KEY TO PRETERM INFANTS’ LONG-TERM HEALTH

Just at the time when their absorptive and digestive capacities are limited, preterm infants have greater nutritional needs. These needs vary according to the degree of their prematurity, their weight and their stage of development ^4-7.

Without adequate nutritional support, prematurity can give rise not only to complications at birth but also to long-term cognitive and psychomotor difficulties.

Prolonged delays in growth or excessively rapid weight gain have also been associated with greater risks of metabolic disease^5,8.

Preterm infants therefore require a diet which is adapted to their needs and adjusted continually according to their developmental progression.

PERSONALISED NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT IN LINE WITH ESPGHAN* RECOMMENDATIONS

Taking into account their greater and changing nutritional needs, ESPGHAN* has established specific recommendations for the diet of preterm infants, according to their weight and stage of development and their access to breast milk (see diagram).

It should be noted that the extent of breast milk fortification and the duration of specific post-discharge transitional feeding should be decided upon on the basis of close monitoring of the infant’s growth. Once growth goals have been met and appropriate growth has been achieved, the transition to unfortified breast milk or standard infant formula should be suggested.

“Every effort, including use of preterm formula, is justified to protect the preterm infant from growth failure and the neurodevelopmental impairment it engenders” (E.E. Ziegler 2015¹⁰)

APTAMIL PRE NUTRIPREM and APTAMIL NUTRIPREM PDF: TAILORED FORMULAS FOR PRETERM NON-BREASTFED INFANTS

Drawing on 70 years of accumulated expertise in prematurity and 50 years of research on breast milk, Nutricia offers, for the first time in Africa, a tailor-made nutritional solution, designed according to ESPGHAN recommendations*^4,5 to meet the specific needs of non-breastfed premature infants.
Hence Aptamil Pre Nutriprem formula for premature infants <1,800g and Aptamil Nutriprem PDF formula for preterm infants over 1,800g who are experiencing a persistent delay in growth:

• Offer a flexible solution that enables nutritional intake to be adapted according to the infant’s weight and stage of development;
• Meet the increased protein and energy needs of preterm infants;
• Are enriched with a patented mixture of scGOS:lcFOS*** (9:1), clinically demonstrated to mimic the oligosaccharides found in breast milk, and with nucleotides, which together support the development of the gut microbiota and the immune system^11-15;
• Contain readily absorbable medium-chain triglycerides¹⁶;
• Provide, in sufficient quality and quantity the LC-PUFAs** necessary for brain development^17-19 in a form easily absorbed and incorporated into the tissues^20,21.

References