Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: MONIKA LOUISE CHAVES COSTA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : MONIKA LOUISE CHAVES COSTA
DATE: 09/08/2026
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Sala de Aulas GEP/MEJC
TITLE:

CLINICAL AND NUTRITIONAL IMPACTS OF THE DURATION OF MULTICOMPONENT FORTIFIER USE IN THE DIET OF PRETERM INFANTS

KEY WORDS:

Infant, premature, Human, milk, Infant Nutrition, Nutritional therapy, Neonatal intensive care unit

PAGES: 48
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Nutrição
SUMMARY:

Prematurity is considered a public health issue due to the increased risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Preterm infants (PTIs) are at higher risk for complications and nutritional problems, making nutritional therapy an essential component of neonatal care. In this context, human milk (HM) is the first choice for feeding; however, its composition is not always sufficient to meet the high nutritional demands of this population, necessitating the use of a multicomponent fortifier. Although the benefits of HM fortification are widely documented, evidence regarding the influence of the duration of use on anthropometric and clinical outcomes remains scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the duration of multicomponent fortifier use on weight gain, length of hospital stay, and the occurrence of metabolic bone disease of prematurity (MBDP) and extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in PTIs admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This was a quantitative, prospective cohort study conducted at the Januário Cicco Maternity Hospital in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. PTIs with gestational age (GA) < 32 weeks and birth weight (BW) < 2,500 g were included. Data were collected regarding birth characteristics (sex, BW, and GA at birth), clinical course (diagnosis of sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia [BPD], and MBDP), nutritional status (predominant type of enteral feeding), and NICU discharge (discharge weight, occurrence of EUGR, length of stay, and duration of multicomponent fortifier use in days). The duration of multicomponent fortifier use was categorized as < 15 days or ≥ 15 days, based on the mean duration observed in the sample. Data were statistically analyzed using between-group comparison tests, generalized linear models, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. The study sample consisted of 54 PTIs: 55.6% were male, 70.4% were classified as very preterm based on GA at birth, and 40.7% had very low birth weight. Sepsis was the most prevalent clinical complication (59.3%; n = 32). PTIs with lower birth weight and those who developed MBDP, EUGR, and BPD showed greater cumulative total weight gain and longer hospital stays (p < 0.05). PTIs who received fortified human milk showed greater total weight gain than those who did not receive fortification (p = 0.0002). Evaluation of the duration of multicomponent fortifier use showed no association with the outcomes assessed (p > 0.05); however, an interaction between BPD and GA at birth was associated with lower cumulative total weight gain. Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis and the log-rank test showed that preterm infants in the group receiving the multicomponent fortifier for less than 15 days had a higher probability of NICU discharge, particularly between the 45th and 75th days of hospitalization. This finding is consistent with the shorter NICU stay observed in this group. These findings suggest that the benefits of human milk fortification are primarily related to its use rather than to the duration of use, reinforcing the multifactorial nature of postnatal growth and the clinical course of PTIs.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - LETÍCIA BARBOSA GABRIEL DA SILVA - UFRJ
Presidente - 2315640 - MARCIA MARILIA GOMES DANTAS LOPES
Externa ao Programa - 4659679 - SANCHA HELENA DE LIMA VALE - null