Aggressive nutrition in extremely low birth weight infants: impact on parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis and growth

Body composition after implementation of an enhanced parenteral nutrition protocol in the neonatal intensive care unit: a randomised pilot trial

BACKGROUND

Very low birthweight (VLBW) infants are at risk for growth failure and poor neurodevelopment. Optimised parenteral nutrition may help promote optimal growth and development, but concerns that provision of enhanced nutrition may contribute to increased early adiposity and later metabolic disease remain.

AIM

To determine associations between provision of an early enhanced parenteral nutrition protocol or standard parenteral nutrition protocol and growth and body composition for VLBW preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

SUBJECTS

This is a secondary analysis of data from a clinical trial aimed at assessing the feasibility and safety of randomising VLBW preterm infants to Standard (n = 45) or Intervention (n = 42) parenteral nutrition groups between August 2017 and June 2019.

METHODS

We evaluated associations between weekly infant growth and body composition measurements from n = 55 infants (Standard = 29, Intervention = 26) that were clinically stable enough to have body composition measurements taken before discharge using mixed effects linear regression models.

RESULT

No statistically significant associations between nutrition group and infant growth or body composition measures were observed (p >.05).

CONCLUSION

In this pilot trial, enhanced parenteral nutrition in the first week of life was not associated with significant differences in infant growth or body composition during hospitalisation.

Sepsis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia as potential risk factors for parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis in neonates: a meta-analysis of retrospective studies

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether sepsis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are risk factors for parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) and to provide suggestions for the prevention of PNAC in infants.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

Electronic databases (PubMed, EBSCO, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and Cochrane) were searched for studies published up to October 22, 2017. Associations between sepsis, BPD and PNAC were assessed using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic, and subgroup analyses were performed.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Nine studies incorporating a total of 2248 cases were included in the meta-analysis. Sepsis was significantly associated with PNAC (pooled OR=2.04; 95% CI: 1.23-2.85), but BPD was not (pooled OR=1.22; 95% CI: 0.65-1.78). In a subgroup analysis, BPD was not associated with PNAC in either the non-Asian group (pooled OR=1.38; 95% CI: 0.58-2.18) or the Asian group (pooled OR=1.05; 95% CI: 0.26-1.84).

CONCLUSIONS

Sepsis, but not BPD, was a risk factor for PNAC in this meta-analysis. Further studies are needed to confirm the findings.

Enhanced Parenteral Nutrition Is Feasible and Safe in Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants: A Randomized Trial

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and safety of enhanced early (PN) (early initiation of intralipids and faster advancement of glucose infusion rate) during the first week of life for very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants.

METHODS

90 VLBW preterm infants (<32 weeks gestational age at birth) admitted to the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital between August 2017 and June 2019 were included. Enrolled infants were stratified by gestational age-groups and randomized to either the enhanced nutrition protocol (intervention group) or the standard PN protocol (standard group). Welch's two-sample t tests were used to investigate differences in calorie and protein intake, insulin use, days of hyperglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and hypertriglyceridemia, and proportion of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and death between groups.

RESULTS

Intervention and standard groups were similar in baseline characteristics. The intervention group received higher weekly mean caloric intake (102.6 [SD 24.9] kcal/kg/day versus 89.7 [SD 30.2] kcal/kg/day; p = 0.001) and higher mean caloric intake on days of life 2-4 (p < 0.05 for all). Both groups received the recommended protein intake (≥4 g/kg/day). There were no significant differences in safety or feasibility outcomes between groups (all p values >0.12).

CONCLUSION

Utilization of an enhanced nutrition protocol during the first week of life resulted in increased caloric intake and was feasible with no evidence of harm. Follow-up of this cohort is needed to determine if enhanced PN will result in improved growth and neurodevelopment.

Protocols of Investigation of Neonatal Cholestasis-A Critical Appraisal

Neonatal cholestasis (NC) starts during the first three months of life and comprises extrahepatic and intrahepatic groups of diseases, some of which have high morbimortality rates if not timely identified and treated. Prolonged jaundice, clay-colored or acholic stools, and choluria in an infant indicate the urgent need to investigate the presence of NC, and thenceforth the differential diagnosis of extra- and intrahepatic causes of NC. The differential diagnosis of NC is a laborious process demanding the accurate exclusion of a wide range of diseases, through the skillful use and interpretation of several diagnostic tests. A wise integration of clinical-laboratory, histopathological, molecular, and genetic evaluations is imperative, employing extensive knowledge about each evaluated disease as well as the pitfalls of each diagnostic test. Here, we review the difficulties involved in correctly diagnosing the cause of cholestasis in an affected infant.

Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants with Cholestasis at 12 and 24 Months

INTRODUCTION

The aims of the study were to describe the neurodevelopmental outcome of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants with parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) and to assess whether PNAC is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome.

METHODS

The study is a secondary analysis of controlled trial (June 2012-October 2017) on PNAC incidence in ELBW infants receiving two different parenteral lipid emulsions (mixed lipid emulsion containing fish oil vs. soybean oil-based). Neurodevelopmental follow-up at 12- and 24-month corrected age was compared in infants with and without PNAC. A machine learning-based regression analysis was used to assess whether PNAC was associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome.

RESULTS

For assessment of neurodevelopmental outcome (Bayley-III), 174 infants were available at 12-month (PNAC: n = 21; no PNAC: n = 153) and 164 infants at 24-month (PNAC: n = 20; no PNAC: n = 144) corrected age. The neurodevelopment of ELBW infants with PNAC was globally delayed, with significantly lower cognitive, language, and motor scores at both 12- and 24-month corrected age. Regression analyses revealed that PNAC was associated with an adverse motor outcome.

CONCLUSION

ELBW infants with PNAC are at increased risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcome.

The Effect of High Glucose Intake on Weight Gain in Very Low Birth Weight Neonates: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aims at evaluating the effect of high glucose intake as a component of total parenteral nutrition on birth weight (BW) regain in very low birth weight neonates. Ninety newborns with BW <1500 g were randomized to control or experimental groups. Both groups received the same total parenteral nutrition regimens except glucose intake provided by dextrose water (DW) serum: 7 to 15 g/kg/d (10% DW) in the former versus 8.75 to 18.75 g/kg/d (12.5% DW) in the latter. Body weight as the primary outcome was monitored until the BW was regained. Results revealed that neonates who received 12.5% DW regained BW significantly faster (10.98 ± 2.46 vs 13.24 ± 4.03 days, P = .024) and needed lesser duration of respiratory support (5.34 ± 2.11 vs 7.17 ± 3.19 days, P = .003). As the proposed intervention can reduce neonatal intensive care unit admission duration, it mitigates risks of health care-associated infections, while favorably affecting the health economy.

Parenterale Ernährung in deutschen Perinatalzentren

Hintergrund

Die Leitlinien der „European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition“ (ESPGHAN) liefern evidenzbasierte Empfehlungen zu parenteraler Ernährung (PE) von Frühgeborenen und kranken Neugeborenen. Im Jahr 2013 wurde gezeigt, dass sie in Westeuropa nur teilweise angewendet werden und ihre klinische Implementierung verbessert werden sollte.

Ziel der Arbeit

Ziel dieser Arbeit ist, die derzeitige Anwendung der ESPGHAN-Leitlinien in Deutschland sowie Barrieren, die die Umsetzung verhindern, abzubilden.

Material und Methoden

Zusammen mit einer Expertengruppe und Institutionen aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum hat die „European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants“ (EFCNI) eine Befragung durchgeführt. Mit einem Online-Fragebogen wurden Pädiaterinnen/Pädiater (PÄD) und Krankenhausapothekerinnen/Krankenhausapotheker (KHA) aus deutschen Perinatalzentren und Krankenhausapotheken bezüglich der Umsetzung der Leitlinien befragt. Die Ergebnisse wurden qualitativ und quantitativ ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse und Diskussion

Von 558 angeschriebenen Kontakten wurden 196 gültige Umfragen ausgewertet. Nach Eigenangaben wenden 77 % der PÄD und 48 % der KHA die ESPGHAN-Leitlinien an. Barrieren wurden innerhalb der klinischen Anwendung identifiziert und waren teilweise struktureller und/oder organisatorischer Natur. Verbesserungsbedarf wurde in der Bereitstellung von parenteralen Standardlösungen, insbesondere am Wochenende, und elektronischen Verordnungssystemen, der Verabreichung von Lipiden bereits am 1. Lebenstag und der regelmäßigen Beurteilung aller Laborparameter beobachtet.

Gram-negative Microbiota Blooms in Premature Twins Discordant for Parenteral Nutrition-associated Cholestasis

Parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) causes serious morbidity in the neonatal intensive care unit. Infection with gut-associated bacteria is associated with cholestasis, but the role of intestinal microbiota in PNAC is poorly understood. We examined the composition of stool microbiota from premature twins discordant for PNAC as a strategy to reduce confounding from variables associated with both microbiota and cholestasis. Eighty-four serial stool samples were included from 4 twin sets discordant for PNAC. Random Forests was utilized to determine genera most discriminatory in classifying samples from infants with and without PNAC. In infants with PNAC, we detected a significant increase in the relative abundance of Klebsiella, Veillonella, Enterobacter, and Enterococcus (P < 0.05). Bray-Curtis dissimilarities in infants with PNAC were significantly different (P < 0.05) from infants without PNAC. Our findings warrant further exploration in larger cohorts and experimental models of PNAC to determine if a microbiota signature predicts PNAC, as a basis for future interventions to mitigate liver injury.

Early versus late parenteral nutrition for critically ill term and late preterm infants

BACKGROUND

Recently conducted randomised controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that late commencement of parenteral nutrition (PN) may have clinical benefits in critically ill adults and children. However, there is currently limited evidence regarding the optimal timing of commencement of PN in critically ill term and late preterm infants.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the benefits and safety of early versus late PN in critically ill term and late preterm infants.

SEARCH METHODS

We used the standard search strategy of Cochrane Neonatal to search the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (5 April 2019), MEDLINE Ovid (1966 to 5 April 2019), Embase Ovid (1980 to 5 April 2019), EMCare (1995 to 5 April 2019) and MEDLINE via PubMed (1966 to 5 April 2019). We searched for ongoing or recently completed clinical trials, and also searched the grey literature and reference lists of relevant publications.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included RCTs comparing early versus late initiation of PN in term and late preterm infants. We defined early PN as commencing within 72 hours of admission, and late PN as commencing after 72 hours of admission. Infants born at 37 weeks' gestation or more were defined as term, and infants born between 34 and 36⁺⁶ weeks' gestation were defined as late preterm.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected the trials, extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. Treatment effects were expressed using risk ratio (RR) and risk difference (RD) for dichotomous outcomes and mean difference (MD) for continuous data. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach.

MAIN RESULTS

Two RCTs were eligible for inclusion. Data were only available from a subgroup (including 209 term infants) from one RCT in children (aged from birth to 17 years) conducted in Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada. In that RCT, children with medium to high risk of malnutrition were included if a stay of 24 hours or more in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) was expected. Early PN and late PN were defined as initiation of PN within 24 hours and after day 7 of admission to PICU, respectively. The risk of bias for the study was considered to be low for five domains and high for two domains. The subgroup of term infants that received late PN had significantly lower risk of in-hospital all-cause mortality (RR 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 0.87; RD -0.10, 95% CI -0.18 to -0.02; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) = 10; 1 trial, 209 participants) and neonatal mortality (death from any cause in the first 28 days since birth) (RR 0.29, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.88; RD -0.09, 95% CI -0.16 to -0.01; NNTB = 11; 1 trial, 209 participants). There were no significant differences in rates of healthcare-associated blood stream infections, growth parameters and duration of hospital stay between the two groups. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were not reported. The quality of evidence was considered to be low for all outcomes, due to imprecision (owing to the small sample size and wide confidence intervals) and high risk of bias in the included studies.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Whilst late commencement of PN in term and late preterm infants may have some benefits, the quality of the evidence was low and hence our confidence in the results is limited. Adequately powered RCTs, which evaluate short-term as well as long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes, are needed.

Effect of Short-Term Morbidities, Risk Factors and Rate of Growth Failure in Very Low Birth Weight Preterms at Discharge

BACKGROUND

Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants often demonstrate postnatal growth failure (PGF). We aimed to analyze incidence and risk factors for PGF in surviving VLBW infants hospitalized more than 28 days.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fenton growth chart (2013) was used for Z-scores for birth weight (BW) and discharge weight. Infants with a decrease in their Z-scores at discharge >1 were considered as 'PGF group' and with a decrease >2 were considered as 'severe PGF group'.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty-one of 148 (95.3%) infants had PGF, 88 of 141 (62.4%) had severe PGF. There were significant differences in gestational age, birth and discharge weight, and days to regain BW, age of first and full enteral feeding, duration of parenteral nutrition, lipid emulsions, intubation and hospitalization between groups (p < 0.05). Vasopressor treatment, nosocomial infection, patent ductus arteriosus and bronchopulmonary dysplasia rates were significantly higher in severe PGF group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

PGF remains a serious problem in our unit. All VLBW preterm infants should be followed for PGF.

Fluid restriction negatively affects energy intake and growth in very low birthweight infants with haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus

AIM

We explored if fluid restriction in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants with a haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) affected energy and protein intakes and growth.

METHODS

Retrospectively, we identified 90 VLBW infants that were admitted to Umea University Hospital, Sweden, between 2009 and 2012: 42 with and 48 without haemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA). Anthropometric, fluid, energy and protein intake data during the first 28 days of life were expressed as z-scores.

RESULTS

In the 42 infants diagnosed with hsPDA, fluid intake was restricted after diagnosis, resulting in a decrease in energy and protein intake. No decrease was observed in the other 48 infants in the cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that the z-score of weight change depended on both ductus arteriosus status and energy intake; thus, infants with hsPDA did not grow as expected with the energy provided to them.

CONCLUSION

Energy and protein intake was diminished in prematurely born infants with hsPDA when fluid was restricted after diagnosis. The initial reduction in intakes may have contributed to the lower postnatal growth observed in these infants.

Exposure to placental insufficiency alters postnatal growth trajectory in extremely low birth weight infants

Growth in the immediate postnatal period for extremely low birth weight (ELBW, birth weight < 1000 g) infants is an important topic in neonatal medicine. The goal is to ensure adequate postnatal growth and to minimize complications resulting from suboptimal growth. Past efforts have focused on postnatal nutrition as well as on minimizing comorbidities. It has not been systematically assessed whether antenatal factors play a role in postnatal growth. In this report, we conducted a retrospective study on 91 maternal-neonatal pairs. We prospectively collected maternal and neonatal demographic data, neonatal nutrition in the first 7 days of life and after enteral nutrition is fully established, comorbidity data, as well as weight data from birth to 50 weeks corrected gestational age. We developed a linear mixed-effects model to examine the role of placental insufficiency, as defined by fetal Doppler studies, in postnatal weight z-score trajectory over time in the ELBW population. We relied on Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) for model selection. Interestingly, the selected model included a quadratic term of time and a placental insufficiency-by-time interaction term. In a covariate analysis, AIC and BIC both favored a model that included calories intake in the first 7 days of life and the total duration of antibiotics as fixed-effects, but not their interaction terms with time. Overall, we demonstrated for the first time that placental insufficiency, an antenatal factor, is a major determinant of postnatal weight trajectory in the ELBW population. Prospective studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

Role of the Gut⁻Liver Axis in Driving Parenteral Nutrition-Associated Injury

For decades, parenteral nutrition (PN) has been a successful method for intravenous delivery of nutrition and remains an essential therapy for individuals with intolerance of enteral feedings or impaired gut function. Although the benefits of PN are evident, its use does not come without a significant risk of complications. For instance, parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease (PNALD)—a well-described cholestatic liver injury—and atrophic changes in the gut have both been described in patients receiving PN. Although several mechanisms for these changes have been postulated, data have revealed that the introduction of enteral nutrition may mitigate this injury. This observation has led to the hypothesis that gut-derived signals, originating in response to the presence of luminal contents, may contribute to a decrease in damage to the liver and gut. This review seeks to present the current knowledge regarding the modulation of what is known as the “gut–liver axis” and the gut-derived signals which play a role in PN-associated injury.

Impact of early aggressive nutrition on retinal development in premature infants

The normal retinal development is interrupted by preterm birth and a retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) may develop as its consequence. ROP is characterized by aberrant vessel formation in the retina as a response to multiple risk factors influencing the process of retinal angiogenesis. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play an important role in the process of normal retinal vascularization. Insufficient nutrition during the first 4 postnatal weeks results in low serum levels of IGF-1, which is essential for correct retinal vessels formation, ensuring survival of the newly formed endothelial cells. Low IGF-1 level results in stop of angiogenesis in the retina, leaving it avascular and prompting the onset of ROP. Keeping the newborns in a positive energetic balance by providing enough nutrients and energy has a beneficial impact on their growth, neurodevelopment and decreased incidence of ROP. The best way to achieve this is the early parenteral nutrition with the high content of nutrients combined with early enteral feeding by the own mother´s breast milk. Multiple studies confirmed the safety and efficacy of early aggressive nutrition but information about its long-term effects on the metabolism, growth and development is still needed.

A Mixed Lipid Emulsion for Prevention of Parenteral Nutrition Associated Cholestasis in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVES

To examine whether a mixed lipid emulsion reduces the incidence of parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis (PNAC) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW, <1000 g) infants.

STUDY DESIGN

This double-blind randomized trial of 230 ELBW infants (June 2012-October 2015) was performed at a single level IV neonatal intensive care unit. Patients received either a mixed lipid emulsion composed of soybean oil, medium chain triglycerides, olive oil, and fish oil-(intervention) or a soybean oil-based lipid emulsion (control) for parenteral nutrition. The primary outcome measure was PNAC (conjugated bilirubin >1.5 mg/dL [25 µmol/L] at 2 consecutive measurements). The study was powered to detect a reduction of PNAC from 25% to 10%.

RESULTS

Reasons for noneligibility of 274 infants screened were refusal to participate (n = 16), death (n = 10), withdrawal of treatment (n = 5), higher order multiples (n = 9), and parents not available for consent (n = 4). Intention to treat analysis was carried out in 223 infants (7 infants excluded after randomization). Parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis was 11 of 110 (10.1%) in the intervention and 18 of 113 (15.9%) in the control group (P = .20). Multivariable analyses showed no statistically significant difference in the intention to treat (aOR 0.428, 95% CI 0.155-1.187; P = .10) or per protocol population (aOR 0.457, 95% CI 0.155-1.347; P = .16). There was no statistically significant effect on any other neonatal morbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of parenteral nutrition associated cholestasis was not significantly reduced using a mixed lipid emulsion in ELBW infants.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.govNCT01585935.