title: Continuous milk feeding versus intermittent bolus feeding in preterm infants.
abstract: We aimed to assess the current knowledge on continuous versus intermittent bolus feeding in preterm infants. We found that existing evidence does not support the firm recommendation of one strategy among the many alternatives. However, although many areas remain to be investigated, it is probable that continuous feeding might be advantageous compared to intermittent feeding in favoring the faster establishment of full enteral feeding, and decreasing the risk of hypoxic-ischemic gut damage in preterm neonates in critical condition, especially SGA infants, by limiting their gastrointestinal oxygen requirement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Medical Critical Care, Neonatology Section, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, Viale Morgagni, 85, 50134 Florence, Italy. Electronic address: cdani@unifi.It.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dani
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pratesi
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barp
mesh_terms: D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D008895:Milk, Human; D009359:Neonatology / Q000379:methods
keywords: Continuous feeding; Enteral feeding; Intermittent feeding; Preterm infants