Feeding Intolerance in Late Preterm Infants: Single Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and clinical features of the late preterm infants with feeding intolerance. MATERIASL AND METHODS: Medical records of 426 infants with gestational age of 340/7- 366/7 weeks were retrospectively reviewed for the study. Clinical and demographic features of late preterm infants and episodes of feeding intolerance were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 54 late preterm infants with feeding intolerance were evaluated and compared with 178 infants without feeding intolerance. Baseline demographics were similar between groups. Mean duration of intolerance period was 2.3 ± 1.2 days. Time to full enteral feeding was significantly longer in late preterm infants with feeding intolerance when compared with infants without feeding intolerance (8 ± 2.3 vs 5.2 ± 1.7 days, respectively, p<0.001). Breastfeeding rates were similar between the groups. Rate of prokinetic use in the feeding intolerance group was 37%. There were no differences between the time to full enteral feeding and the duration of parenteral nutrition between prokinetic users and non-users. CONCLUSIONS: Although the gestational ages of late preterm infants are close to term and their size is relatively large, they are not like term infants. These infants should be followed closely in terms of feeding problems as well as many morbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]