Gastrointestinal maturation and implications for infant feeding

The level of gastrointestinal (Gl) maturity of an individual infant is a major determinant of whether the infant will be able to meet nutritional needs by sole use of the Gl tract or if parenteral means wit[ be necessary. The Gl tract is not only an organ for digestion and absorption of nutrients; it also performs major endocrine, neural and immunologic functions. In this review, anatomic, functional and biochemical development will be described and related to means by which enteral nutrition can be used in the prematurely born infant to optimize health and prevent disease. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.