| Learning Objective #1: Gain knowledge of how nutrition of healthy, premature, LBW infants impacts their growth and development | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Gain knowledge to support breastfeeding in LBW, premature infants, even partial breastfeeding which is advantageous to the growth development of the premature, LBW infant |
This study was a secondary analysis of a larger project entitled “Breast-feeding Services for LBW Infants-Outcomes and Costs”, funded by NINR at NIH, (NR 03881). The larger study was a randomized clinical trial in which the control and intervention groups. The subjects in this secondary analysis were 50 breast-feeding LBW premature infants, from the controlled group. Their gestational age ranged from 28 weeks to 37 weeks, with birth weights from 1,150 grams to 2,500 grams. Their discharge weights ranged from 1,750 grams to 2,500 grams. A longitudinal prospective descriptive design was implemented measuring the babies from birth to six month post corrected age (PCA). Anthropometrics growth measurements of recumbent length, weights, head circumference, and nutritional assessment were recorded monthly from birth to six months, when a developmental screening was done. The infants served as their own controls ANOVA’s were performed among three gestational age groups and between the breast-fed and non breast-fed groups to evaluate differences in body length, weight, and head circumference. The main effect for time, and the group by time interaction was significant, p < .001, to <.015. Therefore, the amount of time between the anthropometic measurements where growth occurred was significant. Significant differences were also found between the breast-fed and non-breast-fed groups at six months corrected a developmental assessment groups at six months corrected p < .014 and, p < .013. in cognitive and motor skills. Human milk intake of these infants decreased from 70% at 40 weeks PCA, to 26% at six months PCA. By six months PCA these infants were taking less than 20% of feedings per day as human milk. Supplementation of foods began at one month PCA increasing monthly. The findings support even partial breast-feeding is advantageous to the growth development of the premature LBW infant.
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