Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits
Enteral feeding is the preferred method of nutrient provision for preterm infants. Though parenteral nutrition remains an alternative to provide critical nutrition after preterm delivery, the literature suggests that enteral feeding still confers significant nutritional and non-nutritional benefits....
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2289 |
| _version_ | 1797526428557770752 |
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| author | Melissa Thoene Ann Anderson-Berry |
| author_facet | Melissa Thoene Ann Anderson-Berry |
| author_sort | Melissa Thoene |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Enteral feeding is the preferred method of nutrient provision for preterm infants. Though parenteral nutrition remains an alternative to provide critical nutrition after preterm delivery, the literature suggests that enteral feeding still confers significant nutritional and non-nutritional benefits. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review is to summarize health and clinical benefits of early enteral feeding within the first month of life in preterm infants. Likewise, this review also proposes methods to improve enteral delivery in clinical care, including a proposal for decision-making of initiation and advancement of enteral feeding. An extensive literature review assessed enteral studies in preterm infants with subsequent outcomes. The findings support the early initiation and advancement of enteral feeding impact preterm infant health by enhancing micronutrient delivery, promoting intestinal development and maturation, stimulating microbiome development, reducing inflammation, and enhancing brain growth and neurodevelopment. Clinicians must consider these short- and long-term implications when caring for preterm infants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-040f3a19ce85406facf150d5ff94c530 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:29:08Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-040f3a19ce85406facf150d5ff94c5302023-11-22T04:35:15ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-07-01137228910.3390/nu13072289Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental BenefitsMelissa Thoene0Ann Anderson-Berry1Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-1205, USADepartment of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-1205, USAEnteral feeding is the preferred method of nutrient provision for preterm infants. Though parenteral nutrition remains an alternative to provide critical nutrition after preterm delivery, the literature suggests that enteral feeding still confers significant nutritional and non-nutritional benefits. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review is to summarize health and clinical benefits of early enteral feeding within the first month of life in preterm infants. Likewise, this review also proposes methods to improve enteral delivery in clinical care, including a proposal for decision-making of initiation and advancement of enteral feeding. An extensive literature review assessed enteral studies in preterm infants with subsequent outcomes. The findings support the early initiation and advancement of enteral feeding impact preterm infant health by enhancing micronutrient delivery, promoting intestinal development and maturation, stimulating microbiome development, reducing inflammation, and enhancing brain growth and neurodevelopment. Clinicians must consider these short- and long-term implications when caring for preterm infants.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2289enteralfeedingpretermnutritiongrowthdevelopment |
| spellingShingle | Melissa Thoene Ann Anderson-Berry Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits Nutrients enteral feeding preterm nutrition growth development |
| title | Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits |
| title_full | Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits |
| title_fullStr | Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits |
| title_short | Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits |
| title_sort | early enteral feeding in preterm infants a narrative review of the nutritional metabolic and developmental benefits |
| topic | enteral feeding preterm nutrition growth development |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2289 |
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