Early Enteral Nutrition and Hdl-Subclass Distribution in Preterm Infants Receiving Parenteral Fat

We studied the effect of early introduction of enteral feedings in preterm infants with iv-fat on HDL-subclass distribution. HDL-subclass distribution was assessed by non denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis (gge), lipids were determined in 15 preterm infants with iv-fat (iv-fat), in 28 healthy preterm and 26 healthy term infants in cord blood and on day 5. The table shows HDL-Cholesterol, phospholipid (PL) and percent of particles in HDL-subclasses in cord blood and on day 5. The predominance of large, less dense HDL_2b-particles in cord blood in preterm infants disappeared by day 5. Even preterm infants on iv-fat exhibited similar HDL-subclass distributions as term infants despite elevated PL levels. This is contrast to previously reported changes in HDL-subclass distribution in preterm infants with total parenteral nutrition without enteral feedings.

Table 1