Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was evaluate the effect of enteral nutrition during treatment in preterms under 32 weeks of gestation with patent ductus arteriosus receiving medical treatment.

Material and Methods: Preterm newborns born before 32 weeks of gestation who received medical treatment for patent ductus arteriosus were categorized into three groups based on their enteral feeding status during treatment: Group A (not fed), Group B (fed <60 ml/kg/day), and Group C (fed ≥60 ml/kg/day). Gastrointestinal system problems and neonatal morbidities were compared with nutritional status. In this retrospective study, 105 patients were included. 

Results: Gastrointestinal intolerance was more common in group A, which was never fed (p=0.017) and the time to full enteral nutrition was the longest in this group (p=0.024). In the most fed group C, the time to regain birth weight was the longest (p=0.002). Daily weight gain was the lowest in patients in group A (p=0.022) and mortality was the most common in this group (p=0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, intraventricular hemorrhage and sepsis between fed and unfed infants.

Conclusion: No statistically significant adverse effects of enteral feeding were observed in preterms treated medically for patent ductus arteriosus. This study shows that enteral feeding does not increase gastrointestinal or neonatal morbidities, and that feeding during treatment appears to be safe.

Keywords: Enteral feeding, newborn, patent ductus arteriosus, preterm infant

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Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite

1.
Kırgıl BN, Kurt A, Ceran B, Alyamaç Dizdar E, Tayman C, Gürsu HA. Assessment of enteral nutrition in preterm infants with patent ductus arteriosus undergoing medical treatment. Turk J Pediatr Dis [Internet]. 2025 Aug. 20 [cited 2025 Aug. 23];:1-5. Available from: https://turkjpediatrdis.org/article/view/1225