Prematurity, Growth & Undernutrition – Infant

Resources for supporting term and preterm infants’ nutrition needs, growth, development, and discharge from the hospital.

Immune Health & the Infant Gut

This video series provides an overview of the infant’s developing immune system and describes the relationship between immune health, the infant gut, and the importance of nutrition.

Growth and Gastrointestinal Tolerance in Healthy Term Infants

This 4-minute video provides a summary of the article "Growth and Gastrointestinal Tolerance in Healthy Term Infants Fed Milk-Based Infant Formula Supplemented with Five Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs): A Randomized Multicenter Trial," available in the June 2022 issue of Nutrients. The goal of this study was to evaluate the supplemental impact of 5 HMOs on growth, gastrointestinal tolerance, and health outcomes in formula-fed infants.

How HMOs Relate to Infant Neurodevelopment and Maternal Factors

Abbott Nutrition Scientist Elena Oliveros, PhD, summarizes the results of a study she and her team published in Journal of Nutrition & Food Science, titled, "Human Milk Levels of 2′-Fucosyllactose and 6′-Sialyllactose are Positively Associated with Infant Neurodevelopment and are Not Impacted by Maternal BMI or Diabetic Status."

Gastric Aspirate Color Interpretation in the NICU

Lauren Siebenaler, DNP, NNP-BC, and Deborah Steward, PhD, RN, discuss the subjective nature of identifying the color “bilious” in gastric residuals, explain the impact of the subjectivity of identifying bilious gastric residuals, and review recommendations for developing standardized clinical practice guidelines for assessment and management of feeding intolerance in the NICU.

Supporting a Healthy Gut Microbiome

Dr Mezoff discusses the importance of developing a healthy microbiome for overall immune health in infants, and how HMOs may support the microbiome and immune health.

Immune Health and the Infant Gut: Central for Immune Development

Dr Mezoff discusses the role of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in developing a healthy infant immune system during the first few years of life. The GI tract provides an interface that allows the infant to establish immune homeostasis.

The Infant's Developing Immune System

Dr Robert Murray explains the postnatal development of the infant's immune system in this video. The mother's passive immunity and breast milk protect the infant and allow the baby time to develop vital immune functions.

Potential Complications with Neonatal Body Systems

This course series reviews a neonate’s transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life, discusses assessment and management strategies, and describes potential complications associated with each body system.

Infant-Driven Feedings: All About Cues and More

This course reviews the importance of sensory development, neuroprotective care, and strategies for infant-driven feedings in the NICU.

Nourishing the Microbiome: Impacting Pediatric Immune Health & Growth

In this CME course, presenters discuss the developing infant immune system and the need for rapid accommodations ex-utero, opportunities to modulate the gut microbiome, and clinical applications of the microbiome and its impact on pediatric immune health.

[CME] — Infant-Driven Feedings in the NICU

In this CME course, you’ll review the importance of sensory development and neuroprotective care, define cue-based care and infant-driven feedings, describe sensory experiences in the NICU, and more.

The Microbiome & the Preterm Infant: A Paradigm Shift

An infographic describing how beneficial microbial colonization during infancy can lay the foundation for a lifetime of good health. You’ll learn more about dysbiosis in the preterm infant population and strategies to promote a more favorable microbiome.

The Microbiome & the Preterm Infant: Gut Immaturity & Dysbiosis

This infographic covers the risk of dysbiosis, the abnormal colonization or the imbalance of microbes developing in the preterm infant's immature gut. Learn about the role the microbiome can play in promoting better health while lowering the risk for adverse health consequences.

Associations of Early Nutrition with Growth and Body Composition in Very Preterm Infants: A Prospective Cohort Study

This study investigate impacts of early postnatal macronutrient intakes on growth and body composition of preterm infants within the first 6 months.

The Neonatal Microbiome

Over the past two decades, research into human milk and human milk oligosaccharides has taught us a lot about the importance of a healthy microbiome in the term infant. A healthy microbiome has effects not only on the intestinal tract but on the body as a whole. Learn more about the challenges preterm infants face that can adversely impact the development of a diverse and healthy microbiome and the factors that could positively impact this development.

Preterm Infant Clinical Growth Assessment: Growth Velocity

Dr. Groh-Wargo discusses the critical steps in preterm infant clinical growth assessment to calculate growth velocity, assess catch-up growth, evaluate growth charts, and monitor for extrauterine growth restriction. She also reviews the new international growth standards for intrauterine growth of preterm infants developed by the INTERGROWTH-21st Project, as well as Z-scores for monitoring growth trajectories.

How to Feed Premature Infants After They Go Home

This course reviews how to evaluate and promote growth in premature infants after hospital discharge; evaluate current research and recommendations regarding use of nutrient-enriched feedings for premature infants post-discharge; and review special issues related to current pandemic and economic challenges in the United States. Originally presented as a live webinar on July 16, 2020.

Premature Infant Nutrition Infographic

This infographic explains the preterm infant's increased needs for nutrients to catch up and the benefits of enriched nutrition.