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ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION |
1 From The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University and Hutzel Hospital (WWKK), and Computing and Information Technology, Wayne State University (EMH), Detroit, MI
2 Supported in part by Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH.
3 Reprints not available. Address correspondence to WWK Koo, Department of Pediatrics, Hutzel Hospital, 3980 John Road, Detroit, MI 48201. E-mail: wkoo{at}wayne.edu.
| ABSTRACT |
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Objective: The aim was to determine the effect of different formulas on the growth, bone mass, and body composition of preterm infants after hospital discharge.
Design: This was a randomized, double blind comparison of a nutrient-enriched formula (EF) and a formula for term infants (TF) given for 1 y after hospital discharge. Compared with the TF, the EF had a higher energy density and higher contents of protein, calcium, and phosphorus (by 10%, 21%, 44%, and 11%, respectively) and higher contents of almost all other nutrients (by
10%).
Results: Birth weights of the infants were 6301620 g (median: 1250 g) and gestational ages were 2434 wk (median: 29 wk). TF resulted in significantly greater weight, length, head circumference measurements, and their respective z scores on the basis of age- and sex-specific norms. At the end of the study, the mean z scores for the corrected age of infants in the TF group were 0.37 for weight, 0.001 for length, and 0.50 for head circumference. The TF group also had significantly greater dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured bone and lean and fat mass than did the EF group (P < 0.05 for all comparisons).
Conclusions: The use of EF for preterm infants after hospital discharge shows no advantage over TF in growth, bone mineralization, and body composition. More studies are needed to determine the optimal postdischarge nutrition support for preterm infants.
Key Words: Nutrition support dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry infants bone lean fat
| INTRODUCTION |
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1500 g, until 9 mo (6) or 12 mo (4) chronological age. However, the optimal duration for the use of postdischarge formulas is unknown, and there is minimal data on the quality of growth, specifically bone mass and body composition, in preterm infants receiving these formulas for prolonged periods. The aim of the present study was to compare growth, bone mass, and body-composition data in preterm infants fed a nutrient-enriched postdischarge formula with those who were fed a standard infant formula. | SUBJECTS AND METHODS |
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34 wk. Infants enrolled into the study had intact gastrointestinal tracts, tolerated full enteral feeding, and were expected soon to be ready for hospital discharge. Exclusion criteria included the presence of major congenital malformation, history of gastrointestinal surgery, or severe postnatal complications that prevented normal suck and swallow actions and adequate enteral feeding at the time of enrollment. On enrollment, infants were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 2 formulas until 12 mo after hospital discharge. The randomization schedule was stratified by sex and birth weight categories (<1001 g, 1001 to 1300 g, and >1300 g). The formula assignment for each subject was placed in a sealed envelope, and an envelope was selected according to the stratified groups on enrollment. In the event that a subject dropped out of the study, the next eligible subject that met the same stratification criteria was assigned to the same formula. Multiple births were not excluded from the study, but all infants from the same set received the same assigned formula. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board for Human Investigations at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI. Written informed consent was obtained from one parent of each subject. All study personnel and the subjects' parents were unaware of study formula assignment. Data management and statistical analysis were performed by the investigators. The study sponsor (Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH) supplied the coded study formulas and maintained the code. Group assignment was not revealed until study completion.
Study formulas and feeding procedures
By design, the desired energy density of reconstituted formula used for term infants (term formula, TF) had an energy density of 20 kcal/oz (2800 kJ/L), and the other formula (enriched formula, EF) had an energy density of 22 kcal/oz (3080 kJ/L). EF also contained higher protein, calcium, and phosphorus by 21%, 44%, and 11% respectively, and
10% higher content of almost all other nutrients than did TF (Table 1
). All study formulas were previously commercially available cow milkprotein based formulations (Similac with Iron and Similac NeoCare, respectively) from the same manufacturer (Ross Products, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH) packaged in identical paper pouches and labeled with coded identification. Specific written instructions on the reconstitution of milk powder as well as containers for the preparation and storage of reconstituted milk were provided to each parent. The reconstitution procedure was identical for both formulas. In addition, the written instructions were repeated verbally and the parental understanding of these instructions was confirmed by the research personnel.
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Study assessment
Weight, length, and head circumference were measured by using standard methods (7, 8) at enrollment and at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 mo after discharge. The infants were weighed in the nude to the nearest 5 g with an electronic scale (Seca, Toledo, OH), which was calibrated daily. Length was measured in duplicate to the nearest 0.1 cm with the infant in a recumbent position by using O'Leary Lengthboards (Ellard Instruments Ltd, Seattle, WA). Head circumference was measured in duplicate as the maximum occipital frontal circumference to the nearest 0.1 cm by using a disposable paper tape measure (Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories).
Total body bone mass as bone mineral content (BMC) and fat and lean mass were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at enrollment and at 2, 4, 6, and 12 mo after discharge. Details of scan acquisition techniques have been reported elsewhere (9, 10). In brief, the technique employed a 2 platform system (Hologic QDR 2000+; Hologic Inc, Bedford, MA) with a foam-covered rigid aluminum platform placed on top of another cloth-covered foam table pad, and an external calibration standard was used. Each infant was wrapped in a cotton blanket for the scan. The use of a diaper with or without a light undergarment for the infant was allowed before bundling the infant in the cotton blanket. However, all coverings were weighed with an electronic scale and the weight recorded. Scan analysis used infant whole-body software version 5.73p, which has been validated independently by different investigators (1114). Only scans with no significant movement artifacts (9, 10) were included in the data analysis. In our laboratory, the precision error from duplicate infant whole-body scans for BMC and fat and lean mass were 3.3%, 5.6%, and 1.7%, respectively.
Statistical methods
The present study was designed with an estimate of 30 subjects per group to complete the study. On the basis of the
10% difference in energy and nutrient content between the formulas, the sample size was calculated to detect a 10% difference between group means in weight or length (15) at study completion with an
of
0.05 (2 tailed) and power of
0.80. The secondary outcome was to determine any changes in DXA-measured bone mass (16) or body composition (17).
A comparison of birth and baseline data between the completers and the dropouts was used to test for attrition bias. Univariate or multivariate (MANOVA) analyses of variance were used to compare the various continuous measures. Chi square was used to compare the discrete variables.
The absolute values of growth data were normalized by expression as z scores by using the age- and sex-matched anthropometric data from the National Center for Health Statistics (18). Serial measurements and z scores for growth measures were used in the statistical analyses. For DXA measurements, bone, fat, and lean mass in absolute amounts and as a percentage of total weight were used in statistical analyses.
Analysis of the serial growth and DXA data between the feeding groups used repeated-measures ANOVA with linear contrast. Birth weight was treated as a covariate to eliminate its effect on growth. Sex and formula groups were treated as fixed factors. However, formula group was the only fixed factor used in the comparison of z scores because the z scores had already corrected for sex. For all subjects with
1 follow-up data point, the intraindividual rate of change (slope) for each growth and DXA measurement was computed by regression on chronologic age at each study time point. The slopes for each measured variable of the subjects from each formula group were compared by using Student's t test and by ANOVA with control for birth weight and sex. In addition, analyses of serial data were repeated post hoc by using race (dichotomized as either African Americans or non-African Americans) instead of sex as a fixed factor.
Unless otherwise indicated, all values are means ± SEMs. Statistical tests were performed with SPSS version 13.0 for WINDOWS (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL) at an adopted significance level of 0.05 and were two-tailed.
| RESULTS |
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Most dropout subjects had no data beyond the baseline measurements. Thus, determination for attrition bias focuses on birth and baseline measurements. MANOVA in a comparison of all noncompleters and all completers showed the overall omnibus F value was not statistically significant for birth measurements and gestational age and for baseline anthropometric and DXA measurements. The overall omnibus F value also was not significant in a comparison between noncompleters and completers within each feeding group for birth and baseline data. No significant interaction existed among the status of the study completion, feeding group assignment, and any of the variables tested.
Of the 67 subjects who completed the study (31 in the EF group), there was uncertainty of compliance with ingestion of study formula for 1 subject in the EF group. The inclusion or exclusion of this subject did not significantly alter the outcome, and the results shown were based on inclusion of all subjects.
Serial growth measurements and corresponding z scores are shown in Table 3
. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed that the birth weight, sex, and formula type had significant independent effects on various growth measures. After control for birth weight and sex, the formula type maintained a significant independent effect on all growth variables for both absolute measurements and z scores. Infants fed TF had significantly higher values for all growth variables than did infants fed EF.
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Serial DXA measurements are shown in Figure 1
. Formula type, birth weight, and sex but not race showed significant independent influence on DXA measurements. The TF group had significantly higher BMC and fat and lean mass than did the EF group, and the males had significantly higher BMC and lean mass than did the females. No significant interactions between formula type and sex or race were observed for these measurements. The mean weight of the covers used for the infants during DXA measurement was 271 ± 19.9 g and 238 ± 13.7 g for the TF and EF groups, respectively, and these were not significantly different. Bone and fat as a percentage of total mass were significantly increased and the percentage of lean mass significantly decreased for both groups during the study (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). Baseline values for bone, fat, and lean mass percentages were 1.28 ± 0.02%, 13.6 ± 0.48%, and 85.3 ± 0.49%, respectively, in the TF group and 1.29 ± 0.2%, 12.6 ± 0.43%, and 86.1 ± 0.43%, respectively, in the EF group. At the end of study, the respective bone, fat, and lean mass percentages were 2.36 ± 0.03%, 29.3 ± 0.74%, and 68.3 ±0.75% in the TF group and 2.39 ± 0.03%, 26.7 ± 1.24%, and 69.1 ± 2.27% in the EF group. After control for birth weight, the formula type had a significant independent effect on fat and lean mass percentage (P < 0.01 for both), with a slightly higher fat mass percentage and lower lean mass percentage in the TF group. Neither sex nor race had any independent effect on bone, fat, or lean mass percentage. No significant interactions between formula type and sex or race were observed in any comparison.
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| DISCUSSION |
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6 mo) of nutrient-enriched formula after hospital discharge have been inconsistent (2224). In comparisons of infants fed enriched formula with those fed term formula after hospital discharge, greater growth was observed only in male infants fed enriched formula: this greater growth consisted of higher weight, length, and head circumference until 6 mo corrected age in one single center study (22); higher weight and length, but not head circumference, until 9 mo corrected age in a multicenter study (23); and higher weight and length at 6 mo and greater head circumference at 12 mo only for a subset of infants with birth weights <1250 g in another multicenter study (24). Bone mass and body composition were measured in only 1 of these 3 cohorts (25). In contrast to our null hypothesis of no significant difference in growth between the groups, our results showed that preterm infants who were fed regular formula over a 1-y period after hospital discharge outperformed those who were fed nutrient-enriched formula in growth, bone mass, and body composition. The independent formula effect without interaction between formula and sex indicated the growth benefit of the term formula applied to both sexes. The major possible confounders to growth with respect to birth weight (24, 2628), sex (15, 18, 2224), and postnatal clinical status (1, 23, 24, 26, 28) were comparable between our study groups. Racial bias in growth response to different nutrient intake during infancy has not been reported, which is consistent with our finding that race had no independent effect on growth.
In the present study, the encouragement for the parent to provide ad libitum feeding to their infant and to discard any residual milk formula from the bottle did not allow for accurate measurements of formula intake, and no attempts were made to monitor the quantity of other food intake, which limited the information on nutrient intake. However, multiple long-term postdischarge feeding studies reported higher volume of consumption of regular formula than of enriched formula by an average of 9% to 23% in one study (24) and of 22% in another study (22); the amounts of regular formula ingested daily were consistently >200 mL/kg (22) and as much as 350 mL/kg (29), which may account for our findings.
Direct comparison of our study with earlier reports is not possible because of multiple differences between the studies. For example, the subjects in one multicenter study had higher mean birth weights and a large proportion (24% to 41%) of small-for- gestational-age infants in various cohorts studied (23) and none of the studies were stratified by sex in the randomization process (2025, 29, 30). There were also differences in the study duration and contents of multiple micronutrients for both the standard and enriched formulas (22, 23) compared with our study. One previous multicenter study (24) that used similar formulas from the same manufacturer showed inconsistent benefit in growth from the use of enriched formula, although the results were confounded by the limited number (
40%) of subjects who completed the study.
The use of standardized growth z scores eliminated any potential bias from absolute growth measures due to minor imbalances in sex, gestation, or the exact age at follow-up between the groups. The use of z scores also allowed for comparison against population norms for healthy infants born at term. In the present study, a large improvement in z scores occurred over the first 9 mo for all anthropometric measurements in both groups, and this catch-up continued until the end of the study for length and head circumference z scores. This is consistent with the postulate that most catch-up growth occurs during infancy (31), although the process of catch-up growth could continue for a much longer period (26, 32). These data indicated that the growth of these infants compared favorably with earlier reports (23, 30) and with population norms (18).
The comparison of the slopes of z scores allowed the use of data from all subjects, including those who had incomplete follow-up measurements. This statistical approach can be considered as an intent-to-treat analysis by using actual follow-up data of all subjects rather than estimated values with potential biased inferences under plausible models for the dropout process (33). In the present study, the comparison of slopes allowed for analysis of data from all subjects that had
1 follow-up measurement, which included >85% of all subjects enrolled; the result did not significantly affect the overall finding.
Consistent with other reports (2224), our findings suggested that head circumference was the least affected variable by the type of postnatal nutrition support. Our findings were also consistent with the similar neurodevelopment status observed in infants with different nutrient intakes despite significant differences in growth variables including head circumference (23, 24, 34).
Our data showed that sex and formula type had significant independent effects on bone and body composition. The greater bone and lean mass in the boys was not surprising and was consistent with their greater body weights and lengths. The apparently dramatic differences in body composition between the groups, with greater absolute amount of bone, fat, and lean mass in infants who were fed regular formula than in those who were fed EF, reflected the overall greater body weight and length in these infants. Furthermore, the body composition of the same infants were within the ranges reported for healthy infants at the same body weight (16, 17) with the use of the same DXA pencil beam technique. In any case, consistency in the amount of covering and the technique in scan acquisition and analysis in our studies (9, 10, 35) indicated that the differences in body composition between the formula groups were not the result of an artifact due to different coverings during the DXA scan. The lack of formula effect on bone mass and body composition in girls reported by other investigators (25) was presumably associated with a lack of stratification by sex or a lack of statistical power.
In the present study, neither sex nor race had an independent effect on bone, fat, or lean mass percentage. This would support the conclusion that diet is the major determinant of changes in bone mass and body composition in infants. The lack of significant difference in the slopes for the rates of change in bone and body composition measurements may indicate a high degree of homogeneity between the groups or a lack of power, because these aspects were not the primary outcome studied.
Our data, if confirmed, potentially has significant implications for both in-hospital and postdischarge nutrition support practices. In most hospitals, the current practice of arbitrarily weaning preterm infants to fewer feedings per day at a volume of 150 to 180 mL · kg1 · d1 may accustom the parents to stop feeding when the infant finishes the "expected" amount, thus inadvertently restricting intake. Many formula-fed preterm infants in the United States are eligible for free formula from the Women, Infant and Children program, which provides a fixed amount of
750 mL infant formula per day, a policy that may arbitrarily restrict milk intake for the infant.
Both the commercial term and postdischarge formulas were reformulated, primarily with the addition of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (36) and nucleotides. However, the overall energy density and the remaining micronutrient contents were essentially unchanged. Preterm infants fed nutrient-enriched in-hospital and postdischarge formulations with or without long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids fortification showed no significant difference in growth (37, 38). Additional studies are warranted to confirm our findings, because the data may have significant implications on the posthospital discharge nutrition management and the public nutrition support program for small preterm infants.
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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WWKK participated in design and execution of the study, analysis and interpretation of the data, and completion of the manuscript. EMH participated in statistical analysis, interpretation of the data, and manuscript writing. The authors had no financial or personal interest in the organization sponsoring the research.
| REFERENCES |
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