Changes in Parenteral Nutrition of Preternn Newborns

The nutritional needs of premature infants are usually dependent upon parenteral nutrition (PN) during early postnatal life, especially for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight of less than 1500 g), In these infants, full enteral feedings are generally delayed because of the severity of medical problems associated with prematurity, such as immature lung function (which often requires endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation), hypothermia, infections, and hypotension, In addition, early enteral feeds are also delayed because of concerns that aggressive feeding may lead to complications such as feeding intolerance or necrotizing errterocolitis. As a result, the nutritional requirements of VLBW infants are rarely met by enteral feeds in the first two weeks after birth. There is growing evidence that inadequate nutrition in the first weeks of life of premature infants results in growth failure that is often difficult to correct and may lead to permanent detrimental effects. The early use of adequate PN minimizes weight loss and improves growth outcome. Therefore, parenteral nutridon (PN) in the premature infant including composition will be reviewed here,