@article {10470, title = {Bolus feeding has no effect on cerebral hemodynamics, irrespective of gestational age.}, journal = {J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med}, volume = {30}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 May}, pages = {1029-1031}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: By multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy, we studied if gestational age has any influence on preterm cerebral hemodynamics, during bolus feeding.

METHODS: Oxy-haemoglobin (HbO), as cerebral blood flow estimate, and the ratio between HbO and total haemoglobin (HbO/HbTot), as cerebral oxygenation estimate, were assessed in 40 stable premature infants, during a 10 min bolus feeding.

RESULTS: We found no effect of any of the gestational ages studied (25-34 weeks) either on cerebral blood flow or on oxygenation, during a bolus feeding procedure.

CONCLUSIONS: Bolus feeding appears not to affect cerebral hemodynamics of uncritically preterm infants, irrespective of gestational age.

}, keywords = {Cerebrovascular Circulation, Enteral Nutrition, Female, Gestational Age, Heart Rate, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Premature, Intensive Care Units, Neonatal, Male, Oxygen, Oxyhemoglobins, Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared}, issn = {1476-4954}, doi = {10.1080/14767058.2016.1199672}, author = {Bembich, Stefano and Cont, Gabriele and Bua, Jenny and Orlando, Chiara and Di Benedetto, Donatella and Demarini, Sergio} } @article {8308, title = {Body mass index curves for Italian preterm infants are comparable with American curves for infants born before 34 weeks of gestational age.}, journal = {Acta Paediatr}, volume = {105}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 May}, pages = {483-9}, abstract = {

AIM: Body mass index (BMI)-for-age curves have been developed in the USA, but not compared with other populations. This study created gender-specific intrauterine BMI-for-age curves for Italian preterm infants and compared them with the USA version.

METHODS: Data on 92 262 newborn infants, born at 26-42 weeks of gestational age in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia between 2005 and 2013, were analysed to create gender-specific BMI-for-age curves. Gender-specific and age-specific BMI Z scores for Italian infants were calculated using the parameters of the USA growth curves and the World Health Organization charts.

RESULTS: Gender-specific BMI-for-age at birth curves were developed for premature Italian infants from 26 gestational weeks. The comparison with the USA charts showed no significant difference in BMI percentiles in Italian infants born at <=33 gestational weeks, but infants born at >=34 gestational weeks had a significantly higher BMI than the USA population, by 0.2 standard deviations.

CONCLUSION: We developed the first European BMI-for-age at birth curves for premature infants. According to our findings, the Italian curves were comparable to the USA curves for the subgroup of infants born at <=33 gestational weeks, but not >=34 gestational weeks.

}, issn = {1651-2227}, doi = {10.1111/apa.13364}, author = {Paviotti, Giulia and Monasta, Lorenzo and Ronfani, Luca and Montico, Marcella and Copertino, Marco and De Cunto, Angela and Demarini, Sergio} } @article {1878, title = {Breastfeeding and neonatal weight loss in healthy term infants.}, journal = {J Hum Lact}, volume = {29}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Feb}, pages = {45-53}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Neonatal weight loss is universally recognized, yet poorly understood. Limited professional consensus exists on the definition of lower limit of safe weight loss.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the extent of neonatal weight loss and its association with selected clinical variables in a population of healthy term infants cared for using a specific protocol on weight loss.

METHODS: We retrospectively considered 1003 infants consecutively admitted to the regular nursery of the Institute for Maternal and Child Health "Burlo Garofolo" (Trieste, Italy). We studied the relationship of selected variables with neonatal weight loss recorded during the hospital stay. We also analyzed all readmissions in the first month of life as a result of weight loss and its complications.

RESULTS: We observed a mean absolute weight loss of 228 g {\textpm} 83g, and a mean percent weight loss of 6.7\% {\textpm} 2.2\%. Weight loss >= 10\% and > 12\% were 6\% and 0.3\%, respectively. In multivariate logistic regression, cesarean section, hot season, any formula feeding, and jaundice not requiring phototherapy were independently associated with neonatal weight loss >= 8\%. Conversely, low gestational age status was associated with lower weight loss. Readmission within the first month of life because of dehydration occurred in 0.3\% of infants.

CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding, compared to formula feeding, may not be a risk factor for greater early neonatal weight loss, at least in contexts in which weight is routinely monitored, breastfeeding is repeatedly assessed and appropriately supported, and careful supplementation is prescribed to limit and promptly treat excess weight loss and its related complications.

}, keywords = {Apgar Score, Breast Feeding, Delivery, Obstetric, Gestational Age, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Length of Stay, Patient Readmission, Retrospective Studies, Seasons, Weight Loss}, issn = {1552-5732}, doi = {10.1177/0890334412444005}, author = {Davanzo, Riccardo and Cannioto, Zemira and Ronfani, Luca and Monasta, Lorenzo and Demarini, Sergio} } @article {1952, title = {Breastfeeding at NICU discharge: a multicenter Italian study.}, journal = {J Hum Lact}, volume = {29}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Aug}, pages = {374-80}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Human milk is the optimal form of nutrition for infants, especially sick or compromised infants, yet international data suggest that breastfeeding (feeding at the breast) and the use of expressed human milk (mother{\textquoteright}s and donor{\textquoteright}s milk) are limited in patients cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to examine feeding status at hospital discharge among high risk infants.

METHODS: We used the 1991 World Health Organization infant feeding definitions, applied to the 72 hour period preceding discharge from the NICU. The study sample consisted of all high risk infants discharged from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006 from 13 Italian NICUs. Data on infant feeding in the last 72 hours were collected at discharge from the medical records.

RESULTS: We recorded data from 2948 subjects with a median gestational age of 35 weeks (IQR, 32-38), a median birth weight of 2200 g (IQR, 1630-2920) and a median length of stay of 16 days (IQR, 8-33). At discharge, 28\% of all infants were fed exclusively with human milk: 31\%, 25\%, 22\% and 33\% respectively in the <1500 g, 1500-2000 g, 2000-2499 g and >= 2500 g birth weight categories. The proportion of infants not fed with human milk varied from 6 to 82\% across different centers.

CONCLUSION: Our study found limited breastfeeding and use of human milk among the NICU infants at discharge. At discharge, infants with a birth weight 1500-2499 g were fed exclusively with human milk less than those in higher or lower birth weight categories.

}, keywords = {Breast Feeding, Humans, Infant, Low Birth Weight, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Premature, Intensive Care Units, Neonatal, Italy, Logistic Models, Multivariate Analysis, Patient Discharge}, issn = {1552-5732}, doi = {10.1177/0890334412451055}, author = {Davanzo, Riccardo and Monasta, Lorenzo and Ronfani, Luca and Brovedani, Pierpaolo and Demarini, Sergio} }