Current recommendations for the growth of preterm infants are that they should try and achieve the same pattern of growth they would they were still in-utero. This growth should be both the right quantity, but also the right quality in terms of body composition and the relative proportions of fat and lean tissue. This requires higher amounts of nutrition that can be difficult to deliver, meaning that preterm infants are at risk of poor growth and body composition that favours fat accretion over lean mass. This is important, as nutrition, growth and body composition in early life are associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes and longer-term cardiovascular risk. However, the exact pattern of growth that results in optimal short- and long-term outcomes in these infants is not well defined. This talk will explore current patterns of growth, the evidence for the pattern of growth for optimal clinical outcomes, and what can be achieved in clinical practice. It will then go on to consider different strategies for nutritional care and how these can be implemented in clinical practice for preterm infants in the neonatal unit to achieve optimal growth.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe current patterns of growth and body composition in preterm infants and how to assess them
2. Explain the optimal patterns of growth in preterm infants
3. Describe recent evidence-based guidance and approaches to neonatal nutritional care and their implementation into clinical practice to achieve optimal growth
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