Volume of Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and calories consumed by very vulnerable preemies contributes to increased brain volume and white matter development, however additional research is needed to determine specific nutritional approaches that best support these infants'developing brains.
Premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are given nutritional support to encourage brain development, although the rates of brain growth are still slower than those seen in full-term babies & the infants with a very low birthweight are at significant risk of growth failure & neurocognitive impairment. The fetal brain undergoes an unprecedented growth spurt, dramatically increasing in volume as well as structural complexity as the fetus approaches full term during the final weeks of pregnancy.
The impact of nutrition on brain development in preterm infants has been increasingly appreciated & the early postnatal growth and nutrient intake have been demonstrated to influence brain growth and maturation with subsequent effects on neurodevelopment that persist into childhood and adolescence & it could also protect against injury. Brain injury is an important cause of neurodevelopmental impairments that manifest following preterm birth.
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