Parenteral amino acid intakes: possible influences of higher intakes on growth and bone status in preterm infants

Objective: To study the possible influences of amino acid (AA) intakes on growth and bone status in preterms. Study Design: Newborns, weighing <1250 g, received standard (S) or higher (H) parenteral AA intakes (3 or 4 g kg(-1) per day). Anthropometry, biochemistry and quantitative ultrasound (metacarpus bone transmission time (mcBTT), in mu s) were measured prospectively. Result: A total of 55 patients in group S and 60 in group H were studied. Significantly better growth rate was found in the H group during the study without signs of intolerance. We found a significant decrease in mcBTT from birth to 21 days in the H group; nonetheless, mcBTT at 36 weeks of gestational age significantly positively correlated with early AA and energy intakes. A significant positive correlation between mcBTT and lower limb length (LLL) at 21 days was found. Conclusion: Early higher AA intakes improved growth without short-term AA intolerance. Nutritional parameters could influence bone growth. LLL was the anthropometric parameter that best correlated to bone status. Journal of Perinatology (2013) 33, 33-39; doi: 10.1038/jp.2012.44; published online 19 April 2012