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Review
. 2024 Sep 10:11:1449022.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1449022. eCollection 2024.

Improving growth in preterm infants through nutrition: a practical overview

Domenico Umberto De Rose  1   2 , Elena Maggiora  3 , Giulia Maiocco  3 , Daniela Morniroli  4 , Giulia Vizzari  5 , Valentina Tiraferri  5 , Alessandra Coscia  3 , Francesco Cresi  3 , Andrea Dotta  1 , Guglielmo Salvatori  1   6 , Maria Lorella Giannì  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Improving growth in preterm infants through nutrition: a practical overview

Domenico Umberto De Rose et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

The primary purpose of this practical overview is to provide a practical update on appropriate nutritional strategies to improve growth in preterm infants. Current recommendations for improving preterm growth concern both macronutrients and micronutrients, with tailored nutrition since the first days of life, particularly when fetal growth restriction has been reported. Human milk is undoubtedly the best nutrition for all newborns, but, in some populations, if not adequately fortified, it does not adequately support their growth. In all preterms, growth should be correctly monitored weekly to intercept a negative trend of growth and implement nutritional strategies to avoid growth restriction. Similarly, growth should be accurately supported and monitored after discharge to improve long-term health consequences.

Keywords: extra-uterine growth restriction; fetal growth restriction; fortification; human milk; parenteral nutrition; prematurity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Fortifiers’ composition and human milk fortification strategies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Fetal growth restriction and related risks for preterm infants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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