Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of introducing a high-nutrient transitional formula (TF) for use after discharge on the growth and development of premature infants.
Study design and methods: This was a cohort study of all surviving infants with a birth weight < or =1250 g admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 1996. Infants with major congenital abnormalities were excluded. There were 180 infants discharged, including 66 on TF and 114 on standard formulas for full-term infants.
Results: Use of TF started the week before discharge, and increased from 10% in 1995 to 66% in 1996 (p<0.001). Regression analyses controlling for multiple confounders identified TF as a significant contributor to improved weight at 3 months and length at 18 months. Bayley developmental scores were not affected.
Conclusion: Introduction of a TF for very-low-birth-weight infants resulted in improved growth after discharge.