Author(s)

Man-Yau Ho, Yu-Hsuan Yen, Hsiang-Yin Chen, Shu-Chen Chien, Mao-Chih Hsieh, Yao-Shun Yang

Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Chinese Taipei.
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Chinese Taipei..
Department of Pediatrics, Taipei, Chinese Taipei.
Nutritional Support Team, Taipei, Chinese Taipei.

Objective: Very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) preterm infants are at risk of growth delay if they do not receive adequate nutritional support. This study evaluated the effect of aggressive early high-dose amino acid infusion plus early enteral trophic feeding on growth in VLBW infants within the first day of life. Study Design: The effect of a high-dose 3 g amino acid (HAA)/kg/d regimen beginning on the first day of life was compared with that of low-dose amino acid (LAA) supplementation at a dose of 0.5 or 1.0 g/kg/d. The primary outcome measures were the days of regained birth weight and achieved full enteral feeding. Result: Compared with the 19 infants in the LAA group, the 17 infants in the HAA group achieved significantly earlier full enteral feeding (7.8 ± 3.6 vs. 15.2 ± 8.9, p = 0.003) and regained birth weight (13.3 ± 3.8 vs. 17.5 ± 7.9, p = 0.047). In addition, shorter parenteral nutrition time was achieved by HAA administration (p < 0.05). Total energy intake was greater during the first 7 days of life in the HAA group (85 ± 12 kcal/kg/d on day 7) than in the LAA group (60 ± 16 kcal/kg/d on day 7, p < 0.001). Other clinical parameters such as length of hospital stay and morbidity favored the use of HAA. Conclusion: Aggressive early simultaneous amino acid administration plus enteral feeding during the first few days of life for preterm infants was associated with improved weight gain and earlier full enteral feeding.

Early Nutrition; Trophic Enteral Feeding; Very Low Birth Weight; Preterm Infant

M. Ho, Y. Yen, H. Chen, S. Chien, M. Hsieh and Y. Yang, "Effect of Aggressive Early High-Dose Intravenous Amino Acid Infusion and Early Trophic Enteral Nutrition on Very Low Birth Weight Infants," Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 3 No. 11, 2012, pp. 1604-1608. doi: 10.4236/fns.2012.311209.