Recent innovations in neonatal clinical nutrition: An evolving paradigm for improved infant health

Background: Neonatal clinical nutrition has advanced rapidly in recent years, especially for vulnerable preterm and critically ill infants. Methods: This narrative review summarizes recent innovations based on literature from PubMed, Scopus, and international guidelines from ESPGHAN, AAP, and WHO. Areas covered include human milk fortification, donor milk, specialized formulas, probiotics, micronutrients, and parenteral nutrition. Results: Key innovations include individualized human milk fortification, high-tech donor milk processing (e.g., UV-C pasteurization), addition of synthetic HMOs to formula, integration of probiotics/prebiotics, improved parenteral micronutrient solutions, and AI-guided personalized nutrition. Conclusion: A proactive, precision-based approach to neonatal nutrition is redefining outcomes by supporting early growth, neurodevelopment, and immune function. These advances are transforming neonatal care into a more individualized and technologically driven model.