Safety of initiating early enteral feeding with slow volume advancement in preterm infants

Abstract

Objective: To determine the safety of enteral feeding within 24 hours of life with slow volume increase on the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and late-onset sepsis (LOS). Design: Prospective descriptive study. Material and Method: Between January 1998 and December 2001, 117 preterm infants with birth weight < 1,750 g were recruited prospectively, 102 in the human-milk-fed group (HMG) and 15 in the formula-fed group (FG). Feeds were advanced by increments of 10 mL/kg/d, aimed at 150 mL/kg/d in 15 days. Charts of 146 preterm infants admitted during 1996-1997 were reviewed for pre-study incidences of NEC and LOS. Results: NEC developed 3.92% in HMG and 20% in FG (p =.044). LOS developed 2.94% in HMG and 13.33% in FG (p = 0.122). The overall incidence of NEC was almost similar (5.98% vs. 6.16%) while that of LOS was lower (4.27% vs. 12.32%) when compared to the pre-study incidences. Conclusion: The present study provides a practice that seems to reduce LOS risk without increasing NEC risk and confirms the protective effect of human milk against NEC.