Objective To evaluate nutritional status during hospitalization of very low birth weight infant (VLBWI) and to analyze the risk factors for extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) at discharge.Methods VLBWIs in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU),＜12 hours after birth on admission and length of hospital stay over 14 days from January 10,2007 to October 1,2011,were retrospectively studied.Relevant information,including perinatal data,weekly nutrition supplements and weight gain,and neonatal complications were collected.Data were analyzed by Chi-square test,t-test and multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Results In all 256 VLBWIs recruited,61 (23.8％) were small for gestational age at birth.One hundred and seventy-two cases,who were EUGR by weight at discharge,were divided into EUGR group.While the other 84cases were divided into non-EUGR group.The mean gestational age and mean birth weight of EUGR infants were (29.3± 1.2) weeks and (1 240± 170) g,among them,53.5％ (92/172) were extreme EUGR.Univariate analysis showed that the total energy intake [(84.9±20.9) kcal/(kg · d)],protein intake [(2.6±0.5) g/(kg · d)] and proportion ofenteral nutrition [(26.1 ± 15.3) ％] on day 7 of EUGR infants were lower than those ofnon-EUGR ones [(92.4±20.2) kcal/(kg · d),(2.8±0.5) g/(kg · d) and (30.2± 13.2) ％,respectively,t=-2.71,P=0.007; t=-2.19,P=0.030; t=-2.10,P=0.037].The enteral nutrition at the time to regain birth weight in EUGR group was lower than those in non-EUGR group [(36.4±21.6) kcal/(kg · d)vs (44.2±24.1) kcal/(kg · d),t=-2.58,P=0.011],the average growth rate after regaining birth weight and enteral nutrition proportion on day 14 were lower [(15.5±4.1) g/(kg · d) vs (17.3±3.3) g/(kg · d),(44.6± 16.6) ％ vs (49.5± 14.4) ％,respectively; t=-3.61,P=0.000; t=-2.42,P=0.016].The duration of parenteral nutrition in EUGR infants was longer than that in the non-EUGR infants [(39.6± 13.8) d vs (34.1 ±8.6) d,t=3.94,P=0.000].Multivariable logistic regression showed that small for gestational age at birth,low protein intake and low enteral nutrition proportion on day 7,low rate of weight gain after regaining birth weight were associated with EUGR on discharge,and small for gestational age at birth was the leading risk factor (OR=42.66,95％CI:9.09-200.23).Conclusions The incidence of EUGR among VLBWIs is high on discharge.Enhancing perinatal health care and early rational nutrition support are critical to reduce the incidence of EUGR and improve the neuro-developmental prognosis of these babies.