Early Supplementation of Enteral Microlipid With and Without Fish Oil in Premature Infants With Enterostomies

Summary

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) are common devastating gastrointestinal diseases in premature infants. These infants often need surgical intervention to remove the dead bowel and create temporary enterostomies, resulting in short bowel syndrome (SBS), a malabsorption state due to insufficient bowel length or dysfunction to digest and absorb nutrients adequately.

These infants are often nourished primarily with parental nutrition (PN) which can lead to many complications including PN-associated liver disease. However, with enteral feeding, the remaining bowel can adapt somewhat to the shortened state, reducing the need for PN. Enteral fats appear to be the most trophic macronutrients with the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) being the most beneficial in promoting bowel adaptation.

Fish oil (FO), a main source of n-3 LCPUFA, has been shown to promote bowel adaptation. Microlipid (ML) primarily contains n-6 PUFA and has been found to decrease ostomy output and increase weight gain in some SBS infants. WThe investigators will soon have completed a randomized clinical trial (EMLFO trial) (WFUHS IRB00011501, NCT01306838) entitled "Early Supplementation of Enteral Lipid with Combination of Microlipid and Fish Oil in Infants with Enterostomies". The preliminary data suggest that (a) by supplementing enteral ML/FO, we were able to decrease the use of IL; (b) premature infants in the treatment group who received ML/FO achieved higher enteral calorie (% of total calorie) intake before reanastomosis and better weight gain (g/day) after reanastomosis than those who received routine care in control group; and (c) the direct bilirubin level before reanastomosis tended to be lower in the treatment group than the control group although the difference was not statistically significant. Because the intervention consisted of both an increase in enteral fat intake as well as a specific type of fat intake (i.e. FO), it is unclear whether improved outcomes in the ML/FO group are attributable to FO's anti-inflammatory effects or the increased fat intake. Therefore, the investigators have designed a next randomized clinical trial to compare ML alone versus ML plus FO. We hypothesize that as compared to ML alone, ML plus FO will result in decreased systemic inflammation, as indicated by blood levels of inflammation-related proteins and indicators of oxidative stress.

Conditions

• Prematurity
• Intestine Perforation
• Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)
• Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS)

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Microlipid with fish oil

Fish oil will start with initial feeding after ostomy placement and Microlipid will start once infant tolerating enteral feeds at 20 ml /kg/d while weaning the Intralipid, which both will be continued until reanastomosis.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Microlipid

A small amount (ml) of Microlipid to match the amount of fish oil in ML/FO group will start with initial feeding after ostomy placement and Microlipid will start once infant tolerating enteral feeds at 20 ml /kg/d while weaning the Intralipid, which will be continued until reanastomosis.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Wake Forest University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Qing Yang, MD, PhD · WFUHS

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

1 Day

Max Age

2 Months

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-10-31

Primary Completion

2015-03-17

Completion

2015-03-17

FDA Drug

Yes

Countries

• United States

Study Locations