title: An intention to achieve better postnatal in-hospital-growth for preterm infants: adjustable protein fortification of human milk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We assessed the effect of human milk (HM) fortification with extra protein supplement by an adjustable protein fortification method according to the weekly blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels on growth in hospitalized preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective observational intervention study in 58 preterms born ≤32 weeks of gestation and fed with breast milk was conducted. Preterms who were given a commercial HM fortifier which provides an additional protein of 0.8 g/3 scales according to the standard feeding strategy served as a historical control group. Infants who were given extra protein in addition to the HM fortifier with another commercial protein supplement which provides an additional protein of 2.2g/1 scale comprised the intervention group. Additional protein supplementation was adjusted according to BUN levels weekly in the intervention group. Weight gain velocities (g/kg/day), length, head circumferences (HC) gain velocities (mm/day) and daily growth indexes for weight, height and HC (percentage per day) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median amount of daily enteral protein intake [4 (3.4-4.6) vs. 2.78 (2.1-3.1) g/kg/day, p < 0.0001] was significantly higher in the interventional group. Length (p = 0.008) and HC (p < 0.0001) gain velocities were significantly higher in the intervention group. Daily growth indexes for weight (2.2% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.026), for length (0.4% vs. 0.3%, p = 0.027) and for HC (0.48% vs. 0.36% per day, p = 0.003) were significantly higher in the intervention group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A higher protein intake by adjustable protein fortification method without energy or volume change leads to improved postnatal in-hospital-growth in very low birth weight infants.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Ankara University School of Medicine, Turkey. Electronic address: alanserdar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alan
authors.forename: Begum
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Atasay
authors.forename: Ufuk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cakir
authors.forename: Duran
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Atila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kahvecioglu
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Erdeve
authors.forename: Saadet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arsan
mesh_terms: D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: Adjustable protein fortification; Growth; Head circumference; Human milk; Length; Preterm; Weight