[Anthropometric and biochemical indices in the nutritional assessment of the newborn with extremely low weight].

Objective: To evaluate anthropometric and biochemical indices of the nutritional status of newborn with extremely low weight.

Methods: It was carried out a cohort study with 10 patients included, of both sexes, and weight at birth between 700-1200 g, who were under treatment with parenteral nutrition (PN), and/or minimal enteric stimulus (MES).

Results: Nine patients (90 %) received PN plus MES. One patient received only oral or enteric nutrition. Daily increase in weight was 7-23.8 g with an average of 15.6 g. In size, weekly increase was 0.30-1.5 cm with an average of 0.78 cm. In cephalic perimeter, the weekly increase was between 0.1-1.1 cm weekly with an average of 0.57 cm. Once the PN treatment was stopped and the patients were managed only with oral feeding, the weigh increases ranged between 12.5-35 g per day with an average of 22.7 g/day; height increased weekly from 0.45 to 1.1 cm, with an average of 0.89 cm/week; cephalic perimeter increased weekly from 0.45 to 1.3 cm, with an average of 0.80 cm. All the patients (100 %) had a positive nitrogen balance.

Conclusions: The treatment of PN and MES is a useful strategy in order to keep a positive nitrogen balance and promote the increase in weight, size and cephalic perimeter so that the newborn could get the rate of growth in utero.