Prevention of Protein Deprivation in the Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant: A Nutritional Emergency

Abstract

Insufficient nutrient supply in preterm infants and protein deprivation in particular can represent a nutritional emergency. It can cause many of the features of the starvation response, including insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, as well as growth failure and neurological injury. At Baylor University Medical Center, we began providing intravenous protein on the first day of life to extremely low birth weight infants in 2000. This has led to significant improvements in the time to regain birth weight and the rate of daily weight gain during the first month of life. While neonatologists traditionally focus first on newborns' warmth, respiratory support, and cardiovascular support, early aggressive nutrition support, in the form of intravenous amino acids at time of admission as well as glucose, is of great benefit and should be a standard element in the initial care of the extremely low birth weight infant.