title: Extremely low birthweight infants: how neonatal intensive care unit teams can reduce postnatal malnutrition and prevent growth retardation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of an improved nutritional policy for extremely low birthweight (ELBW) infants on nutritional deficits and postnatal growth.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared two groups of 37 ELBW infants, born before and after the introduction of an improved nutritional policy in April 2006. Group A (born 2005 to early 2006) and group B (born 2009) stayed in a French neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for at least 7 weeks. Optimal energy and protein intakes were 120 and 3.5 g/kg/day, respectively, and used to calculate cumulative deficits. Delta z-scores for weight, length and head circumference were calculated between birth and 36 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA). The improved nutritional policy focused on earlier and higher parenteral intake of lipids and proteins, earlier and higher human milk fortification and earlier transition to preterm formula.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two groups did not differ in gestational age and birthweight. However, protein and energy deficits were significantly reduced in group B. Between birth and 36 weeks of PMA, delta z-scores were significantly reduced for length (p = 0.012) but not for weight (p = 0.09) or head circumference (p = 0.83).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher parenteral intake and close attention to enteral feeding reduced nutritional deficits and linear growth restriction in infants admitted to a French NICU.
authors.affiliation: Néonatologie et Réanimation Néonatale, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, France. claire-marie.loys@chu-lyon.fr
authors.forename: Claire-Marie
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Loÿs
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maucort-Boulch
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Putet
authors.forename: Jean-Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Picaud
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haÿs
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007228:Infant Nutrition Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D018529:Nutritional Support; D012189:Retrospective Studies