Predictors of Postnatal Growth Failure in Preterm Infants

Clinical and Nutritional Predictors of Postnatal Growth Failure in Preterm Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Assiut University Children's Hospital

Status

Not yet recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07818681

Enrollment

120

Registered

2026-09-14

Start date

2026-09-20

Completion date

2028-07-01

Last updated

2026-09-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Growth Failure, Premature Birth, Very Low Birth Weight Infant

Keywords

Clinical predictors, Postnatal growth failure, Preterm infants, Neonatal intensive care, Nutritional predictors, Assiut

Brief summary

This prospective observational study aims to identify the clinical and nutritional predictors of postnatal growth failure among preterm infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Assiut University Children's Hospital.

Detailed description

Postnatal growth failure is a common complication among preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units. This prospective cohort study will include preterm infants (gestational age less than 37 weeks) admitted to the NICU within the first 24 hours of life and hospitalized for at least 14 days. Clinical data, nutritional practices, and serial anthropometric measurements will be collected from admission until hospital discharge. Postnatal growth failure will be defined as a discharge weight below the 10th percentile for postmenstrual age according to the Fenton Growth Chart and/or a decline in weight Z-score of more than 1.0 standard deviation between birth and discharge. The study will identify independent clinical and nutritional predictors of postnatal growth failure.

Interventions

None listed

Study design

Observational model

COHORT

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

No minimum to 36 Weeks

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* \- Gestational age less than 37 completed weeks * Admission to the NICU within the first 24 hours after birth * Hospitalization for at least 14 days * Availability of complete clinical, nutritional, and anthropometric data * Written informed consent from parents or legal guardians

Exclusion criteria

* \- Major congenital malformations * Chromosomal abnormalities * Major congenital gastrointestinal anomalies interfering with feeding * Major congenital heart diseases requiring early surgical intervention * Inborn errors of metabolism * Congenital TORCH infections

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Occurrence of postnatal growth failure	Up to 30 days	Proportion of preterm infants who develop postnatal growth failure at hospital discharge, defined as discharge weight below the 10th percentile for postmenstrual age according to the Fenton Growth Chart, or a decline in weight-for-age Z-score of more than 1.0 standard deviation between birth and discharge.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Growth velocity	Up to 30 days	Growth velocity expressed as grams per kilogram per day (g/kg/day) during hospitalization
Time to achieve full enteral feeding	Up to 30 days	Number of days from birth to achievement of full enteral feeding (150 mL/kg/day).
Duration of parenteral nutrition	Up to 30 days	Number of days of parenteral nutrition during hospitalization.
Length of hospital stay	Up to 30 days	Duration of hospitalization in days.
In-hospital mortality	Up to 30 days	Rate of mortality during the NICU stay.

Contacts

CONTACTKamal G Ahmed, Resident

kamal.18313193@med.aun.edu.eg+20 11 41620746

STUDY_CHAIRKotb A Metwalley, prof

pediatrics Department, Assiut University Hospitals

Outcome results