Targeted Protein Fortification in Extremely Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants (H-38611)

Utilizing Targeted Fortification to Evaluate the Effects of a High Versus Standard Protein Diet on Linear Growth and Body Composition in Infants < 1000 Grams Birth Weight

Background
At Texas Children’s Hospital, the standard for feeding our smallest babies is with an all human-milk-based diet. An all human-milk-based diet uses mother’s own milk when possible or pasteurized, donor human-milk when it is unavailable. To help meet the high nutritional demands of these extremely premature babies, additional nutrition (or fortification) is added to the human-milk-based diet using a human-milk-based fortifier. This type of nutrition has been shown to be tolerated very well and improve both short and long-term outcomes.

Purpose and Objective
The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a high versus standard protein enteral diet utilizing targeted fortification on linear growth in infants < 1000 g birth weight. The secondary aim is to evaluate body composition by total body dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at 36 weeks postmenstrual age in infants < 1000 grams BW who received a high protein enteral diet.

For study details see Targeted Protein Fortification in Extremely Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants.