Nutrition and the developing brain: the road to optimizing early neurodevelopment: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Neonatal intensive care practices have resulted in marked improvements in the survival of premature infants; however, they remain at significant risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. The impact of current nutritional practices on brain development following early extra-uterine exposure in premature infants is not well known. METHODS: We performed a systematic review to investigate nutritional effects on postnatal brain development in healthy term and prematurely born infants utilizing advanced magnetic resonance imaging tools. RESULTS: Systematic screen yielded 595 studies for appraisal. Of these, 22 total studies were selected for inclusion in the review, with findings summarized in a qualitative, descriptive fashion. CONCLUSION: Fat and energy intake are associated with improved brain volume and development in premature infants. While breast milk intake and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation has been proven beneficial in term infants, the impact in preterm infants is less well understood.