Early Exclusive Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Meta-Analysis.
Inderpreet Santokh, Anurag Fursule, Deepalakshmi Dorasamy et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis evaluated early exclusive enteral feeding (EEF) versus progressive enteral feeding (PEF) in preterm infants across 11 randomized controlled trials involving 3145 participants. The study found no significant increase in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) risk with EEF (pooled RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 1.00-1.01; P=0.53), while EEF was associated with shorter time to full feeds and reduced duration of intravenous fluids.
Key findings
- No significant difference in NEC stage 2 or greater incidence (pooled RR, 1.00; P=0.53).
- EEF led to a shorter time to full feeds compared to PEF.
- Reduced duration of intravenous fluids was observed with EEF.
- Faster regain of birth weight was associated with EEF.
Why it matters
Understanding the safety and benefits of early exclusive enteral feeding in preterm infants is crucial for optimizing nutritional strategies and potentially reducing healthcare costs associated with prolonged intravenous feeding.
What to keep in mind
Presence of statistical heterogeneity in some outcomes and lack of blinding in interventions.