Prolonged Minimal Enteral Nutrition Versus Slowly Advancing Enteral Nutrition in Very Low Birth Weight Infants:

Background: Recent studies showed the benefits of early initiation and advancement enteral feeds with daily increments in preterm infants on decreasing invasive infections and early achievement of full enteral feedings. But the data on enteral feeds of extremely low birthweight infants are limited. Preterm infants especially those <1250 gr birthweight are at increased risk of developing feeding intolerance and necrotizing enterocolitis and so the initiation and the rate of increments of enteral feeds are usually uncertain issues for neonatologists.

Aim: To assess the effects of two different feeding strategies in very low birth weight preterm infants with birth weight ≤1250 gr and gestational age ≤32 weeks on the incidence of feeding intolerance and time to reach full enteral feedings.

Study design: prospective randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of prolonged minimal enteral nutrition (MEN) with progressive advancing enteral feedings.

Primary outcomes: incidence of feeding intolerance and time to reach full enteral feedings sustained for 72 hours.

Secondary outcomes: incidence of NEC, sepsis, duration of hospitalization Methods: a total of 200 preterm infants with gestational age ≤32 weeks and birthweight ≤1250 gr were randomly allocated to one of the 2 feeding strategies.