Total Parenteral Nutrition for Neonates

Key Messages

• The 2 included studies reported conflicting findings regarding weight gain, length, and time to regained birth weight in moderate-to-late preterm neonates weighing 1,500 g or more at birth treated with peripherally administered parenteral nutrition (P-PN) versus 10% dextrose or dextrose-containing fluids. However, both studies reported no statistically significant difference in safety and other measures such as head circumference, time to full enteral feeds, and length of hospital stay between the treatment groups.
• The strength of the evidence was limited because analyses of the outcomes did not include measures that could minimize false-positive results, and a definitive conclusion could not be drawn regarding the clinical effectiveness of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for a term or moderate-to-late preterm neonates weighing 1,500 g or more at birth.
• No relevant evidence-based guidelines regarding using TPN in term or moderate-to-late preterm neonates weighing 1,500 g or more at birth was identified.