Dose Comparison of Amino Acids on Growth in Premature Neonates
Malnutrition is a common problem in the neonatal intensive care
unit. Recent studies indicate that prematurely born neonates
commonly develop a severe nutritional deficit during the first
weeks after birth, referred to as extrauterine growth
restriction. Despite an increase in growth during the second
month of hospitalization, many neonates are ultimately
discharged home having grown inadequately. The early nutritional
deficit affects weight gain as well as growth in length and head
circumference. Growth measurements such as weight, length, and
head circumference, however, are macroscopic measures of
nutritional status and underestimate the physiologic
consequences of prolonged nutritional deprivation. Energy and
micronutrient deficiencies alter growth at a cellular and tissue
level before macroscopic measures are altered. In the brain, for
instance, energy is required for cell division and neuronal
growth, glial cell function, and myelination. En