Growth and neurological outcome in ELBW preterms fed with human milk and extra-protein supplementation as routine practice: do we need further evidence?

Extremely-low-birth-weight infants (ELBW) should be given nutrients to enable them to grow at the same rate as foetuses of the same gestational age, and lean body components, particularly the brain, are dependent on protein intake. Fortified human milk remains the best food for these preterms. Two groups of preterm infants weighing 580-1250 g and with a gestational age of 23-32 weeks were fed with different protein intakes in fortified human/maternal milk (3.5 g kg(-1) per day and 4.8 g kg(-1) per day in the control and extra-protein groups, respectively). The tolerance, intrahospital growth, neurological outcome and anthropometric data until 9 months corrected age were evaluated. The extra-protein regime showed an intrahospital growth advantage (mostly in growth of head circumference, p 0.02, and length, p 0.04) only in the preterms weighing 580-980 g and aged 23-30 weeks. In the same preterms, the Griffith Development Mental Score at 3 months corrected age showed higher scores than in the control group (p 0.04). Growth during the post-discharge period for the experimental group at 9 months corrected age showed mean z-score values for length higher than those in the control group (p 0.04).