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CU doctors have spent years trying to perfect intravenous nutrition for the smallest preemies, whose bodies often aren't ready for milk. Now — armed with their aggressive nutrition plan — they're investigating whether it's possible for babies born early to grow as fast as babies in the womb.
The results could affect infant nutrition guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics that haven't been updated for 24 years.
"We've been pushing the levels of intake in nutrition for a long time," said Dr. Patti Thureen, a UC Denver pediatrics professor and lead investigator in the study. "We're trying to mimic what we think the fetus has."
Thureen's work during the past decade has led to a preemie nutrition table — requested by hospitals from Mexico to the United Arab Emirates — that allows doctors to calculate exactly how much sugar, protein and fat a preemie can handle. The table is based on weight and the number of days alive.
"We want to start optimal nutrition from the moment of birth," Thureen said. "We don't want them to lose any weight that first day."
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