title: Slow versus rapid enteral feed in preterm neonates with antenatal absent end diastolic flow.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Incidence of feed intolerance (FI) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm neonates with Doppler evidence of absent end diastolic flow (AEDF) velocities in the fetal umbilical artery when enteral feed volumes were started by 6-72 h and advanced either slowly or rapidly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stable inborn neonates, 30-36 weeks gestation, weighing ≥1000 g and with antenatal evidence of AEDF were included in this pilot study. Infants (stratified in <1250 g and ≥1250 g birth weight categories) were allocated under randomized controlled trial, to receive either slow or rapid advancement of enteral feeding, while initiating the feeds after 6 h of birth if bowel sounds were present. Primary outcome measure was, FI and NEC till day 7 after reaching full feeds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 159 eligible infants, 83 were randomized: 53 infants in the ≥1250 g category (28 in rapid and 25 in slow group) and 30 in the <1250 g category (15 in each group). FI was present in 11% versus 16% in ≥1250 g (p = 0.570) and 27% versus 33% in <1250 g (p = 0.690), NEC developed in 8.4% (3 versus 1) in ≥1250 g and (1 versus 2) in <1250 g, in slow versus rapid feeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This trial did not find increase in incidence of feed intolerance with very early introduction and rapid advancement of enteral feeds in stable preterm neonates with AEDF and birth weight ≥1250 g.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , Chandigarh , India and.
authors.forename: Suksham
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , Chandigarh , India and.
authors.forename: Kanya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.affiliation: b Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , Chandigarh , India.
authors.forename: Vanita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research , Chandigarh , India and.
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases; D008297:Male
keywords: Absent end diastolic flow; early introduction; preterm neonates; rapid advancement