title: Does High Protein Intake During First Week of Life Improve Growth and Neurodevelopmental Outcome at 18 months Corrected Age in Extremely Preterm Infants?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether high protein intake during the first week of life alters the growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 mo corrected age (CA) in preterm infants born < 29 wk.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective cohort study of preterm infants (<29 wk) before and after introduction of nutritional policy targeting higher protein intake during the first week of life. The authors compared the growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 mo CA between infants born before (epoch 1) and after (epoch 2) the introduction of nutrition policy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 171 eligible infants who completed follow-up at 18 mo CA, 87 (51 %) were in post intervention group (epoch 2). The mean (± SD) gestational age (26.3 ± 1.49 wk vs. 26.2 ± 1.48 wk) and birth weight (947 ± 220 g vs. 924 ± 225 g) were similar between the two groups. At 18 mo CA, there were no significant differences in the growth and neurodevelopmental impairment rates between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that high protein intake (>3.5 g/kg/d) was not associated with improved neurodevelopmental outcome (OR 1.49, 95 % CI 0.52-4.26).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High protein intake during the first week of age was not associated with better growth or neurodevelopmental outcome at 18 mo CA in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Siddartha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buddhavarapu
authors.affiliation: Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Saranya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manickaraj
authors.affiliation: Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Abhay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lodha
authors.affiliation: Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. asoraish@ucalgary.ca.|Foothills Medical Centre, Room C-211, 1403, 29th Street, NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 2T9, Canada. asoraish@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Amuchou Singh
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Soraisham
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: Growth; Neonate; Neurodevelopmental outcomes; Preterm; Protein