Effect of parenteral nutrition on weight gain in very low birth weight infants

Abstract

Objective To study the role of parenteral nutrition in early birth weight gain in very low birth weight infants (VLBW). Methods A total of 136 VLBW infants in our hospital from February 2014 to June 2016 were collected and were divided into experimental group and control group. The infants in the control group received routine treatment (including enteral nutrition for tolerant infants); the infants in the experimental group received nutrient solution intravenous infusion therapy based on routine treatment, the nutrient solution contained glucose, protein, and fat, and is based on daily weight and test reports. The weight gain, caloric intake, length of hospital stay, weight at discharge, and survival rate were compared between the two groups. Results The survival rate of the experimental group was 82.61%, while the survival rate of the control group was 70.14%, which wassignificantly lower than that of the experimental group (χ2=8.374 5,P=0.006 5). The average daily weight gain of the infants in the experimental group was significantly faster than that in the control group (t=44.101 4,P<0.01), and the average caloric intake was also significantly higher than that in the control group (t=4.473 8,P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in weight between the two groups at discharge (t=0.874 1,P=0.38), but the length of stay in the experimental group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (t=7.401 7,P<0.01). Conclusion Early intravenous nutrition for VLBW can effectively improve the weight gain, increase the caloric intake, shorten the hospitalization time, and reduce the mortality rate, and has positive significance for the treatment of VLBW infants. Key words: Parenteral nutrition; Preterm infants; Very low birth weight infants; Weight gain