Abstract
This paper describes historic steps in feeding techniques and knowledge on the nutritional needs of premature infants. Devices to overcome weak sucking and swallowing were developed from 1851 to 1920, including tube feeding by gavage, medicine droppers and pipettes, feeding bottles with an air inlet, and beaked spoons for nasal feeding. Indwelling nastrogastric tubes were in use from 1951. For alleged safety concerns in the 1950s, postnatal feeding was postponed until a week of starvation was reached, and studies showed an association with neurological handicaps. The premature infant’s elevated need for energy, protein, and minerals has been established since 1919. However, these remained controversial, and nutritional practices continued to lag behind theoretical knowledge. Concentrated formula was developed in the 1940s, parenteral supplementation in the 1960s, and human milk fortifiers in the 1970s. In the 1990s, necrotizing enterocolitis was found to be more frequent in infants who were fed formula than in those who were fed human milk. Recently, probiotics were shown to reduce the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis. Nevertheless, compared with other aspects of neonatal medicine, there is still remarkably little evidence on how to feed preterm infants.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Rita Matysiak of the University Library Freiburg, for the remote literature retrieval; Sieghard Irrgang of Kassel, for his help with Latin; and Carole Cürten of the University of Freiburg, for the English editing provided.
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The author stated that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.
©2015 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Risk factors for preterm birth and new approaches to its early diagnosis
- Review
- Avoiding the prenatal programming effects of glucocorticoids: are there alternative treatments for the induction of antenatal lung maturation?
- Original articles – Obstetrics
- The association of first trimester bleeding with preterm delivery
- Cervical sonoelastography for improving prediction of preterm birth compared with cervical length measurement and fetal fibronectin test
- The neuroprotective effect of magnesium sulfate in preterm fetal mice
- Correlation of cervical length, fetal fibronectin, phIGFBP-1, and cytokines in spontaneous preterm birth up to 14 days from sampling
- The unborn smoker: association between smoking during pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes
- Association of group B streptococcus colonization with early term births
- Association of maternal whole blood fatty acid status during the prenatal period with term birth dimensions: a cross-sectional study
- Predicting onset of labor from echogenicity of the cervical gland area on vaginal ultrasonography at term
- Disparity in post-treatment maternal circulating magnesium sulfate levels between twin and singleton gestation: Is this the missing link between plurality and adverse outcome?
- Original articles – Fetus
- Cardiovascular profile score in 44 fetuses with cervicofacial tumors
- First trimester tricuspid regurgitation and fetal abnormalities
- Gastroschisis: incidence and prediction of growth restriction
- Original articles – Newborn
- Diminished HLA-DR expression on monocyte and dendritic cell subsets indicating impairment of cellular immunity in pre-term neonates: a prospective observational analysis
- First- and fifth-minute Apgar scores of 0–3 and infant mortality: a population-based study in São Paulo State of Brazil
- Feeding the feeble: steps towards nourishing preterm infants
- Book review
- Hot topics in perinatal medicine
- Erratum
- Erratum to: Impact of the nitric oxide-donor pentaerythrityl-tetranitrate on perinatal outcome in risk pregnancies: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial
- Congress Calendar
- Congress Calendar
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Risk factors for preterm birth and new approaches to its early diagnosis
- Review
- Avoiding the prenatal programming effects of glucocorticoids: are there alternative treatments for the induction of antenatal lung maturation?
- Original articles – Obstetrics
- The association of first trimester bleeding with preterm delivery
- Cervical sonoelastography for improving prediction of preterm birth compared with cervical length measurement and fetal fibronectin test
- The neuroprotective effect of magnesium sulfate in preterm fetal mice
- Correlation of cervical length, fetal fibronectin, phIGFBP-1, and cytokines in spontaneous preterm birth up to 14 days from sampling
- The unborn smoker: association between smoking during pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes
- Association of group B streptococcus colonization with early term births
- Association of maternal whole blood fatty acid status during the prenatal period with term birth dimensions: a cross-sectional study
- Predicting onset of labor from echogenicity of the cervical gland area on vaginal ultrasonography at term
- Disparity in post-treatment maternal circulating magnesium sulfate levels between twin and singleton gestation: Is this the missing link between plurality and adverse outcome?
- Original articles – Fetus
- Cardiovascular profile score in 44 fetuses with cervicofacial tumors
- First trimester tricuspid regurgitation and fetal abnormalities
- Gastroschisis: incidence and prediction of growth restriction
- Original articles – Newborn
- Diminished HLA-DR expression on monocyte and dendritic cell subsets indicating impairment of cellular immunity in pre-term neonates: a prospective observational analysis
- First- and fifth-minute Apgar scores of 0–3 and infant mortality: a population-based study in São Paulo State of Brazil
- Feeding the feeble: steps towards nourishing preterm infants
- Book review
- Hot topics in perinatal medicine
- Erratum
- Erratum to: Impact of the nitric oxide-donor pentaerythrityl-tetranitrate on perinatal outcome in risk pregnancies: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial
- Congress Calendar
- Congress Calendar