Growth Disorders, Growth Failure, Prematurity
Conditions
Brief summary
This study evaluates the relationship between growth and stool microbiota in premature infants.
Detailed description
Preterm infants often require increased caloric intake to maintain appropriate growth while in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While some infants will have a clear source of need for greater calories, it is often not obvious why others require increased available calories to maintain appropriate growth. Emerging evidence suggests that patterns of gut microbiota may play a role in infant and childhood growth. We hypothesize that differences in the microbial pattern in preterm infants is related to poor growth and need for increased caloric intake. This may ultimately represent a therapeutic target to improve the growth of preterm infants in the NICU. This study aims to describe the differences in microbiome which may vary with growth pattern.
Interventions
OTHERCaloric Requirement
Infants will be provided standard of care and given calories required to maintain appropriate growth per unit policies already in place.
Sponsors
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
All infants less than 28 weeks gestation who are admitted to the Parkland Hospital NICU.
Exclusion criteria
Infants \>27 weeks gestation. Infants with major congenital anomalies which may alter growth patterns.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| quantitative rT-PCR of stool microbiome | 8-10 weeks depending on length of stay in NICU | alpha diversity of bacterial groups in normal growth vs. poor growth |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed