Other content tagged: nutrition
Optimising parenteral nutrition in paediatric care: challenges, recommendations, and safety considerations
A recent study underscores the critical role of parenteral nutrition (PN) in paediatric patients. Although PN is crucial for the growth and development of preterm infants, it often involves considerable variability and risk, which can lead to complications. Advances such as Multi-Chamber Bags (MCB) have shown potential for improving precision, safety, and efficiency, but challenges persist in meeting paediatric needs. The findings stress the importance of standardising practices and adopting evidence-based guidelines to improve…
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Highlighting the power of nutrition: New recommendations on preventing preterm birth through omega-3 fatty acid intake during pregnancy
Preterm birth is difficult to predict and most women who deliver preterm have no prior risk factors. Recent studies now agree that there is a promising, effective, and safe way to prevent preterm birth and especially early preterm birth. The daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids by pregnant women can reduce the risk to deliver preterm by up to 50% whilst being easy to integrate into the daily diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are…
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The fasting month of Ramadan: Does intermittent fasting of pregnant women influence the risk for preterm birth?
Fasting during Ramadan is a valuable experience for Muslims all over the world. Even though it is not compulsory for pregnant women to participate in fasting, many choose to do so. However, the question arises as to whether abstaining from food and water throughout the day could have an impact on the well-being of the unborn child. To answer this question, fourteen studies from seven countries were reviewed, involving more than 2,800 expectant…
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55th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) in Vienna
From 17 to 20 May 2023, the ESPGHAN congress united healthcare professionals, patient and parent representatives as well as industry partners in the fields of paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition from across the world with the aim to reduce the burden of digestive and nutritional diseases and to improve digestive and nutritional health in paediatric age groups. EFCNI was honoured to attend the congress on-site and thrilled to meet old friends and new ones and to work towards the best…
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A pressing need for research to reduce nutritional uncertainties in preterm infant care: Findings from a European roundtable discussion with parent representatives
Clinical uncertainties regarding best practices on preterm nutrition will be addressed in a future randomised control trial. However, researchers first sought the views and experiences of parents of preterm babies and adults born preterm to consider them during the study design. The results of two roundtable discussions showed strong support for further research but also revealed variation in participants' knowledge about research trials and in information provided to parents during a baby's hospital stay. Researchers…
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Experiences on delivery and breastfeeding practices in Beijing, China during Covid-19
A Chinese study compared women’s experiences who delivered before and during the lockdown regarding feeding practices and childbearing. Interestingly, breastfeeding was seemingly positively influenced by the lockdown, the study from Beijing shows. The COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on all aspects of life, including pregnant and delivering women and their families. Despite the severity of the virus, the WHO recommended breastfeeding during the pandemic, when taking suitable precautions, as human milk is the optimal…
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Effects of growth differences during twin pregnancy on later life
Researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in the Netherlands found that children who have received less nutrients during pregnancy compared to their identical twin sibling have a higher risk of developmental problems later in life. This disbalance in nutrient supply can be a health-related disadvantage affecting their entire life. Ten to 15 percent of twin pregnancies are characterised by an uneven distribution of the placenta. This means that one child receives a larger…
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A cost-consequences analysis on increased utilisation of triple chamber bag parenteral nutrition
The safety of parenteral nutrition (PN) remains a concern in preterm neonates, impacting clinical outcomes and health-care-resource use and costs. This cost-consequence analysis assessed national-level impacts of a 10-percentage point increase in use of industry-prepared three-chamber bags (3CBs) on clinical outcomes, healthcare resources, and hospital budgets across seven European countries estimating the impact on compounding error harm and bloodstream infection (BSI) rates, staff time, and annual hospital budget. Due to mostly human errors during the compounding and preparation processes, manually…
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The importance of the right fatty acids in early nutrition
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are so-called long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) found in breastmilk. They play important roles in the growth and development of babies, especially in brain development and function. To resemble the composition of breastmilk, infant formula has been supplemented with these two fatty acids for many years as the benefits of supplementing DHA together with ARA in infant formula and follow-on formula have been scientifically proven. Yet, a…
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World Breastfeeding Week: great commitment from the preterm birth community
For six years, EFCNI has been actively supporting and participating in World Breastfeeding Week with its own awareness initiatives. This year's slogan "Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet", also put environmental aspects which affect our babies' health and future, on the agenda. EFCNI strongly supports breastfeeding and wants to do its part to increase the number of newborns that benefit from breastmilk. At the same time, it is also crucial to represent and support the most vulnerable group of newborns:…
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