Table 2.
Practices for feeding and probiotic use for infants diagnosed with NEC before and after initiation of probiotic supplementation in 2015.
| Pre-probiotic epoch (2011–2015) n = 14 | Post-probiotic epoch (2015–2020) n = 23 | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOL feeds initiated | 1.9 (±0.6) | 1.8 (±0.7) | NS |
| DOL feeds reached 40 mL/kg/day | 7.0 (±2.1) | 11.6 (±3.5) | NS |
| Type of feeding | NS | ||
| Breast milk and/or donor milk (%) | 7 (50) | 13 (59) | |
| Breast milk + preterm formula (%) | 6 (43) | 8 (36) | |
| Preterm formula (%) | 1 (7) | 1 (5) | |
| DOL feeds fortified | 8.1 (±1.9) | 12.8 (±3.2) | NS |
| Feeding amount at fortification (mL/kg/day) | 61.9 (±9.6) | 56.2 (±10.0) | NS |
| Average enteral intake on day of diagnosis (mL/kg/day) | 98.4 (±12.6) | 85.4 (±14.0) | NS |
| Enteral intake 1 day prior to diagnosis (mL/kg/day) | 94.3 (±12.0) | 79.9 (±14.8) | NS |
| Enteral intake 2 days prior to diagnosis (mL/kg/day) | 94.9 (±11.7) | 77.7 (±15.3) | NS |
| Enteral intake 3 days prior to diagnosis (mL/kg/day) | 86.8 (±11.7) | 73.1 (±15.3) | NS |
| Average total fluid intake for 3 days prior to diagnosis (mL/kg/day) | 129.4 (±3.0) | 138.3 (±10.7) | NS |
| Probiotics administered (%) | 0 (0) | 15 (65) | p < 0.0001 |
| DOL probiotics started | N/A | 15.0 (±5.3) | N/A |
There were no significant differences in feeding practices in the post-probiotic epoch compared to the pre-probiotic epoch. Significantly more infants in the post-probiotic epoch received probiotics.