OBJECTIVE: To evaluate enteral feeding practices in neonatal units in different countries and on different continents. DESIGN: A web-based survey of 127 tertiary neonatal intensive care units in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the UK. RESULTS: 124 units (98%) responded. 59 units (48%) had a breast milk bank or access to donor human milk (Australia/New Zealand 2/27, Canada 6/29, Scandinavia 20/20 and UK/Ireland 31/48). The proportion of units initiating enteral feeding within the first 24 h of life was: 43/124 (35%) if gestational age (GA) <25 weeks, 53/124 (43%) if GA 25-27 weeks and 88/124 (71%) if GA 28-31 weeks. In general, Scandinavian units introduced enteral feeds the earliest, followed by UK/Ireland. Continuous feeding was routinely used for infants below 28 weeks' gestation in almost half of the Scandinavian units and in approximately one sixth of units in UK/Ireland, but rarely in Australia/New Zealand and Canada. Minimal enteral feeding for 4-5 days was common in Canada, but rare in Scandinavia. Target enteral feeding volume in a 'stable' preterm infant was 140-160 ml/kg/day in most Canadian units and 161-180 ml/kg/day or higher in units in the other regions. There were also marked regional differences in criteria for use and timing when human milk fortifier was added. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights areas of uncertainty and demonstrates marked variability in feeding practices. It provides valuable data for planning collaborative feeding trials to optimise outcome in preterm infants.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate enteral feeding practices in neonatal units in different countries and on different continents. DESIGN: A web-based survey of 127 tertiary neonatal intensive care units in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the UK. RESULTS: 124 units (98%) responded. 59 units (48%) had a breast milk bank or access to donorhuman milk (Australia/New Zealand 2/27, Canada 6/29, Scandinavia 20/20 and UK/Ireland 31/48). The proportion of units initiating enteral feeding within the first 24 h of life was: 43/124 (35%) if gestational age (GA) <25 weeks, 53/124 (43%) if GA 25-27 weeks and 88/124 (71%) if GA 28-31 weeks. In general, Scandinavian units introduced enteral feeds the earliest, followed by UK/Ireland. Continuous feeding was routinely used for infants below 28 weeks' gestation in almost half of the Scandinavian units and in approximately one sixth of units in UK/Ireland, but rarely in Australia/New Zealand and Canada. Minimal enteral feeding for 4-5 days was common in Canada, but rare in Scandinavia. Target enteral feeding volume in a 'stable' preterm infant was 140-160 ml/kg/day in most Canadian units and 161-180 ml/kg/day or higher in units in the other regions. There were also marked regional differences in criteria for use and timing when human milk fortifier was added. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights areas of uncertainty and demonstrates marked variability in feeding practices. It provides valuable data for planning collaborative feeding trials to optimise outcome in preterm infants.
Authors: Marita de Waard; Yanqi Li; Yanna Zhu; Adejumoke I Ayede; Janet Berrington; Frank H Bloomfield; Olubunmi O Busari; Barbara E Cormack; Nicholas D Embleton; Johannes B van Goudoever; Gorm Greisen; Zhongqian He; Yan Huang; Xiaodong Li; Hung-Chih Lin; Jiaping Mei; Paula P Meier; Chuan Nie; Aloka L Patel; Christian Ritz; Per T Sangild; Thomas Skeath; Karen Simmer; Olukemi O Tongo; Signe S Uhlenfeldt; Sufen Ye; Xuqiang Ye; Chunyi Zhang; Ping Zhou Journal: JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr Date: 2018-11-22 Impact factor: 4.016
Authors: Mandy B Belfort; Elizabeth N Pearce; Lewis E Braverman; Xuemei He; Rosalind S Brown Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2012-02-15 Impact factor: 5.958