Minimal enteral nutrition during neonatal hypothermia treatment for perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy is safe and feasible

Thyagarajan, Balamurugan, Tillqvist, Emma, Baral, Vijay, Hallberg, Boubou, Vollmer, Brigitte and Blennow, Mats (2015) Minimal enteral nutrition during neonatal hypothermia treatment for perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy is safe and feasible. Acta Paediatrica, 104 (2), 146-151. (doi:10.1111/apa.12838). (PMID:25348803)

Abstract

Aim

The safety and efficacy of enteral feeding during hypothermia treatment following hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy has not been studied before, resulting in variations in practice. Our study compared the benefits and safety of both early minimal and delayed enteral feeding during hypothermia treatment.

Methods

Our retrospective cohort study,from January 2009 to December 2011, compared a Swedish cohort,who received early enteral feeding during hypothermia, and a UK cohort,who received delayed enteral feeding.

Result

In Sweden (n=51), enteral feeds were initiated at a median of 23.6 hours and full oral feeding was achieved at ninedays (range 3-23). In the UK (n=34), the equivalent figures were 100 hoursand eight days (range 3-13) (p=0.01).Both groups achieved enteral feeding at a median six days. The median length of hospital stay was 13 days in Sweden and 10 days in the UK (p=0.04). More babies were fully breastfeeding or breast-fed and bottle-fed at discharge in Sweden (85%) than the UK (67%) (p=0.08). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding adverse events.

Conclusion

Early minimal enteral feeding during hypothermia provedfeasible,with no significant complications. Delayed enteral feeding did not affect time to full enteral feeding.

This record has no associated files available for download.

Contributors

Author: Brigitte Vollmer

Download statistics