Initial Nutritional Strategy and Stature-level Growth During the Neonatal Period of Children Born Moderately Premature: Cohort EPIPAGE 2

The growth and nutrition of premature infants during the neonatal period is a concern of neonatology services; it impacts the child's health in the short and long term. The weight deficit, but especially the weak growth of the cranial perimeter during the Neonatal period is associated with an increased risk of long-term neuro-cognitive impairment.

The optimal nutritional strategy, during the neonatal period, of children born moderately premature is not known.

The optimization of nutrition in premature children is therefore a topical issue in neonatology.

Our project aims to evaluate the impact of an aggressive early nutritional strategy characterized by optimized caloric and protein intakes on the stature-level growth of 2000 children born moderately premature GA from 30 WA (week of amenorrhea) to 32 WA + 6 days and included in the national cohort of follow-up of children of small gestational ages.

Nutritional intake during the first week of life will be analyzed in tertile. Children will be grouped according to their calorie and protein during the first week of life. The tertile 1 will represent the group of children with the lowest nutritional intake (called the "nutrition not aggressive "), the tertile 3 will define the group of children presenting the contributions highest nutritional levels (called the "aggressive nutrition" group).

The primary endpoint will be the z-score change in weight, height and head circumference between birth and age (36 adjusted age WA) between the "nonaggressive nutrition" group and the group. "Aggressive nutrition".

The benefits are for public health to harmonize neonatal care practices within a region and to better understand the impact of nutritional strategies on long-term neuro-cognitive development.