OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and safety of extensively hydrolyzed formula (EHF) in preterm infants.

METHODSA total of 692 preterm infants between January 2007 and December 2016 were enrolled as subjects. According to the feeding pattern, they were divided into EHF group (327 infants) and standard preterm formula (SPF) group (365 infants). A retrospective analysis was performed for their clinical data during hospitalization, including the incidence of feeding intolerance, time to establish full enteral feeding, time to first excretion of meconium, time to complete excretion of meconium, presence or absence of intestinal infection or neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), serum albumin level within 3 weeks after admission, and time to the appearance of skin jaundice and its duration.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between the two groups in the starting time of breastfeeding, time to first excretion of meconium, time to the appearance of skin jaundice, serum albumin level at weeks 1 and 2 after admission, and time to recovery of birth weight (P>0.05). Compared with the SPF group, the EHF group had significantly lower incidence rates of feeding intolerance, intestinal infection, and NEC and a significantly lower positive rate of stool occult blood test (P<0.05), as well as significantly shorter time to complete excretion of meconium, duration to establish full enteral feeding, duration of jaundice, and length of hospital stay (P<0.05). At week 3 after admission, the EHF group had a significantly higher serum albumin level than the SPF group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSEHF can reduce the incidence rates of feeding intolerance and NEC in preterm infants, shorten the duration of jaundice, promote defecation, and help them to achieve full enteral feeding early. It has significant advantages over SPF.