Traditionally, the initiation of nutrition support in preterm infants has been delayed for several days, sometimes weeks, after birth. The unstable clinical condition of these infants, coupled with fears of adverse metabolic consequences, has often complicated nutrient delivery in the immediate postnatal period. Now, with the increasing survival rate of smaller, more critically ill neonates, efforts to improve their long-term outcomes have prompted investigation into the effect of optimizing their nutrition management. As a result, the initiation of parenteral and enteral nutrition beginning in the first days of life has been studied extensively. Although additional research continues to be needed, current findings support the use of earlier, more aggressive nutrition support in these high-risk infants.
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