Safety of Parenteral Nutrition in Newborns

Lapillonne, A, Berleur, M P, Brasseur, Y, & Calvez, S. 2018. Safety of Parenteral Nutrition in Newborns: Results from a Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 37(2), 624-629.

Safety of Parenteral Nutrition in Newborns

Neonates born with gastrointestinal difficulties or malformations are at high risk of malnutrition and subsequent physical and neurological impairments. This study is focused on the safety of providing newborn infants with parenteral nutrition within the first hours of life. Parenteral feeds are lifesaving methods of nutrient delivery when the gastrointestinal tract is compromised, but can put strain on organ systems in adults. It is questionable how well a newborn can handle the strain of parenteral solutions in their weak bodies.

This study included 14,167 infants across 119 hospitals, 77% of which were premature (Lapillonne, Berleur, Brasseur & Calvez, 2018). 80.6% of parenteral feeds were administered on the first day of birth. "The incidence of adverse events related to the parenteral nutrition solutions in [the] study was 0.37%" (Lapillonne, Berleur, Brasseur & Calvez, 2018). This very low incidence of adverse effect suggests use of parenteral nutrition is generally safe in neonatal nutrition care.

Conclusions from this study are that parenteral solutions of up to 800 mOsm/L are tolerated well in peripheral veins and ready to use nutrition solutions can safely provide nutrition from the first hours of birth and on (Lapillonne, Berleur, Brasseur & Calvez, 2018).

-CK

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