Nutritional management after necrotizing enterocolitis and focal intestinal perforation in preterm infants

Abstract

Nutritional management of preterm infants recovering from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or focal intestinal perforation (FIP) is challenging, especially in infants managed surgically. The logistics of how, when, and what to feed are unclear and current nutritional practices are primarily based on physiological principles and consensus opinion in individual units, rather than high-quality evidence. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the literature on nutritional management after NEC or FIP in preterm infants: when to restart enteral nutrition, type of enteral nutrition to use, and how to advance nutrition. We also discuss treatment of micronutrient deficiencies, cholestasis, replacement of stoma losses, and optimal time of stoma closure. In conclusion, there are in sufficient high-quality studies available to provide evidence-based recommendations on the best nutritional practice after NEC or FIP in preterm infants. A local or national consensus based early nutrition guideline agreed upon by a multidisciplinary team including pediatric surgeons, pediatricians/neonatologists, nurses, and nutritionists is recommended. Further studies are urgently needed. IMPACT: There is no good quality evidence or nutritional standard across neonatal units treating infants after medical or surgical NEC or FIP. With this review we hope to start providing some consistency across patients and between providers treating patients with NEC and FIP. Mother's own milk is recommended when restarting enteral nutrition after NEC or FIP. In the absence of high-quality evidence, a consensus based early nutrition guideline agreed upon by a multidisciplinary team is recommended. Nutritional research projects are urgently needed in NEC and FIP patients.