Research
Observations of NICU rounds reveal focus on fluids over nutrients for premature infants
The Brief
- Observations of daily NICU rounds found that physicians often discuss fluids rather than nutrients when planning nutrition for premature infants.
- The discussions often do not cover the energy, carbohydrate, fat and protein content the baby is receiving.
- The report is based on observations of clinical rounds in neonatal intensive care units.
Why it matters
Nutrition plans for premature infants depend on getting both fluid volume and nutrient content right, so a focus on fluids alone could leave macronutrient needs under-discussed.
Who’s affected
- neonatologists and NICU clinical teams
- parents of premature infants
- #neonatology
- #preterm infants
- #neonatal nutrition
- #intensive care
- #clinical decision-making
During daily rounds in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), physicians need to balance many considerations in their decision-making about nutrition plans for premature infants. Often, instead of discussing how much energy, carbohydrates, fats and protein the baby has…