Effect of hospital nutrition program on growth of very low birth weight preterm babies.

Objective: To determine the effect of hospital nutrition program on growth of very low birth weight (VLBW) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) babies. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Recep Tayyep Erdogan Hospital, Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. Period: February 2024 to July 2024. Methods: Inclusion criteria were preterm newborns weighing below 1500 grams, admitted in NICU and who received total parenteral nutrition (TPN). VLBW was labeled as birth weight between 1000-1499 grams, while ELBW as birth weight <1000 grams. Hospital nutrition program included TPN plus orogastric feed or nasogastric feeding plus micronutrients. Effect of hospital nutrition program was described as effective if the baby at the time of discharge added 17-20 g/kg/day according to ESPHGAN recommendation. Results: In a total of 131 newborns, 69 (52.7%) were boys. The mean gestational age, and birth weight were 29.68±1.87 weeks, and 1024.50±144.23 grams, respectively. The mean net daily weight gain at the time of discharge was 12.77±3.63 grams. The effective hospital nutrition program was noted in 23 (17.6%) babies. Effectiveness of hospital nutrition program was significantly associated with higher birth weight (1094.78±114.41 vs. 1009.54±145.93 grams, p=0.010), very low birth weight versus extremely low birth weight (87.0% vs. 13.0%, p<0.001), head circumference ≥30 cm (87.0% vs. 53.7%, p=0.003), and gestational age > 28 weeks (87.0% vs. 57.4%, p=0.008). Conclusion: The hospital nutrition program had limited effectiveness, with only 17.6% of VLBW and ELBW infants achieving the recommended weight gain by discharge.