title: How to feed small for gestational age newborns.
abstract: Feeding small for gestational age (SGA) newborns is extremely challenging and the neonatologist should be brave and cautious at the same time. Although these babies have a high risk of milk intolerance and necrotising enterocolitis, enteral feeding guidelines are not well established and practice varies widely among different neonatal units. Currently available studies on this topic include extremely and very low birth weight neonates, but are not focused specifically on small for gestational age infants. This review analyzes papers focused on feeding interventions in order to provide the best available evidences about the optimum timing for introduction of enteral feeding, how fast feed volume can be advanced, which milk and which feeding method is more appropriate in SGA infants.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University Sacred Heart, Largo A, Gemelli 8, Rome 00168, Italy. gbarone85@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maggio
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saracino
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perri
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zecca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000517:prevention & control; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008895:Milk, Human; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000379:methods*; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain