ReviewNutrients2021
Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits.
Review in Nutrients, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 59 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
59 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 99 citations in OpenAlex.
- Nutritional management of neonates who undergo major surgery for gastrointestinal disorders: a joint position paper of the Italian Society of Neonatology (SIN), the Italian Society of Pediatric Surgery (SICP), and the Italian Society of Pediatric Nutrition (SINUPE).Italian journal of pediatrics · 2026Guideline
- Predictors of extubation failure in newborns: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2023Pooled it
- Early gut microbiome composition of very preterm infants randomised to receive human milk volumes of 60 ml/kg/day or more within the first 36 hours after birth.Pediatric research · 2026Trial
- Cost-consequence analysis of early full milk feeding versus gradual feeding with intravenous support in preterm infants: results from the FEED1 trial.Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition · 2026Trial
- The effect of breast milk and vanilla odor on duration of transition from gavage to oral feeding in premature infants.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Progression of Enteral Feeding Volumes in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants in the "Connection Trial".American journal of perinatology · 2024Trial
- Effect of a Multi-Strain Probiotic on Growth and Time to Reach Full Feeds in Preterm Neonates.Nutrients · 2022Trial
- Early Postoperative Intra-Abdominal Pressure and Heart Rate in Relation to Time to Trophic Enteral Feeding After Posterolateral Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Repair: An Exploratory Cohort Study.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Nutrition with a patent ductus arteriosus: feast, feed, or famine?Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Improving preoperative enteral feeding for newborns with congenital heart disease.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2026Article
- Article
- Enteral nutrition in neonates: current evidence from clinical trials and evolving strategies.Seminars in perinatology · 2026Review
- Retinopathy of prematurity and cognitive development in enteral docosahexaenoic acid-supplemented preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Translational pediatrics · 2026Article
- Current enteral feeding practices for premature infants in neonatal intensive care units in the Middle East and North Africa.JPGN reports · 2026Article
- Analysis of factors affecting postoperative feeding intolerance in neonates following intestinal surgery.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- [Interpretation of the "International consensus on early rehabilitation and nutritional management for infants at high risk of neurological impairment"].Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics · 2026Article
- Spontaneous enteric nervous system activity generates contractile patterns prior to maturation of gastrointestinal motility.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2026Article
- Rapid assessment of feeding intolerance: a systematic approach to reduce time to full enteral feeding in preterm infants.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Enteral nutrition practices and associated outcomes in preterm infants with a gestational age less than 34 weeks: a single-center retrospective study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Postoperative hyperinflammation and recovery challenges in necrotizingenterocolitis.World journal of pediatric surgery · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Enteral feeding is the preferred method of nutrient provision for preterm infants. Though parenteral nutrition remains an alternative to provide critical nutrition after preterm delivery, the literature suggests that enteral feeding still confers significant nutritional and non-nutritional benefits. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review is to summarize health and clinical benefits of early enteral feeding within the first month of life in preterm infants. Likewise, this review also proposes methods to improve enteral delivery in clinical care, including a proposal for decision-making of initiation and advancement of enteral feeding. An extensive literature review assessed enteral studies in preterm infants with subsequent outcomes. The findings support the early initiation and advancement of enteral feeding impact preterm infant health by enhancing micronutrient delivery, promoting intestinal development and maturation, stimulating microbiome development, reducing inflammation, and enhancing brain growth and neurodevelopment. Clinicians must consider these short- and long-term implications when caring for preterm infants.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.