1 © Copyright iMedPub | This artcle is available in: htp://www.hsj.gr/ 2020 Health Science Journal ISSN 1791-809X Vol. 14 No. 6: 756 iMedPub Journals www.imedpub.com Research Article DOI: 10.36648/1791-809X.14.6.756 Feeding Practces and Nutritonal Evoluton of Preterm Infants during Hospitalizaton: a Longitudinal Study Abstract Objectves: To compare feeding practces and anthropometric variables between preterm infants, according to the degree of prematurity, during hospitalizaton untl hospital discharge, and to correlate these practces with nutritonal evoluton. Methods: Prospectve study with 44 premature infants admited to a referral hospital for the care of high-risk newborns, in the interior of Pernambuco, between 2016 and 2017. The data analyzed were obtained by consultng medical records to compare birth characteristcs, feeding practces, and anthropometric measurements between preterm infants ≤ 33 and ≥ 34 weeks of gestatonal age. Results: Parenteral nutriton and the start of full enteral nutriton were similar between groups. Premature infants with a gestatonal age ≥ 34 weeks had an earlier onset and shorter use of enteral nutriton (1; 0-2 vs. 0; 0-1, p=0.002 and 25; 5-36 vs. 7; 1-24, p <0.0001, respectvely), started oral feeding earlier (7.5; 2-32 vs. 4.5; 1-24, p=0.019), and had a higher prevalence of exclusive breasteeding at hospital discharge (56.2% vs. 76.2%, p=0.0017). Those with a gestatonal age ≤ 33 weeks presented a greater need for human milk fortfcaton (57.0% vs. 16.0%, p<0.0001) and longer hospital stay (31; 10-55 vs. 12.5; 3-55, p = 0.0001). There was a positve correlaton between the start of enteral nutriton and the hospitalizaton tme (r=0.410, p=0.007). Conclusion: Physiological maturity seems to infuence dietary practces and nutritonal evoluton during the hospitalizaton of premature infants. The start of enteral nutriton, as observed in this study, is positvely correlated with the length of hospital stay. These fndings may contribute to improvement in nutritonal care for premature infants. Keywords: Nutriton; Enteral nutriton; Parenteral nutriton; Oral feeding; Premature; Neonatal ICU Received with Revision September 02, 2020, Accepted: September 24, 2020, Published: September 29, 2020 Tafnes Laís Pereira Santos de Oliveira 1 , Kennia Kiss Borges Santos Silva 2 , Andressa Laís Ferreira Silva 1 , Camylla Sinezia dos Santos Paiva Alves Pereira 3 , Isabella da Costa Ribeiro 1 , Matheus Santos de Sousa Fernandes 1 *, Jéssica de Oliveira Campos 2 , Flaydson Clayton Silva Pinto 1 , Jenyfer Medeiros Campos Guerra 1 , Sandra Cristina da Silva Santana 2 , Antonio Flaudiano Bem Leite 4 and Michelle Figueiredo Carvalho 2 1 Federal University of Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil 2 Federal University of Pernambuco, Academic Center of Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Brazil 3 Tricentennial Hospital, Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Brazil 4 Department of Health, Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Brazil *Corresponding author: Matheus Santos de Sousa Fernandes  theusfernandes10@hotmail.com Tel: +62274489726 Federal University of Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil. Citation: Oliveira TLPS, Silva KKBS, Silva ALF, Pereira CSSPA, Ribeiro IC, et al. (2020) Feeding Practces and Nutritonal Evoluton of Preterm Infants during Hospitalizaton: a Longitudinal Study. Health Sci J. 14 No. 6: 756. Introducton The World Health Organizaton (WHO) [1] defnes a premature infant as any newborn born before the 37 th week of gestatonal age. It is estmated that 15 million premature children are born worldwide each year, representng 1 in 10 births. In Brazil, the prevalence of prematurity increased from 9.2% in 2010 [1] to 11.5% in 2011 [2]. The scientfc and technological progress of neonatal care, associated with more humanized care, has allowed the survival of newborns (NBs) with ever lower gestatonal ages (GA) and birth weights [3]. However, prematurity is stll a major public health problem and is the greatest risk factor for infant morbidity and mortality [4]. Being born prematurely predisposes the NB to nutritonal risk, since at birth there is a sudden interrupton of the nutritonal supply to the fetus during the phase of greatest speed of growth and development [5]. Thus, the preterm newborn (PTNB) is harmed, partly or totally, depending on the gestatonal age,