Neonatal refeeding syndrome and postnatal growth in extremely low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare the first-week trajectories of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and glucose between small for gestational age (SGA) and non-SGA infants, and to evaluate the association between neonatal refeeding syndrome (RS) and postnatal growth and clinical outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study of 122 ELBW infants. RESULT: The overall incidences of hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypercalcemia, and hyperglycemia in the total population were 38.5%, 19.7%, 4.1%, 18.0%, and 49.2%, respectively. Phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium levels were significantly lower in SGA infants than in non-SGA infants during the first week. The severity of RS was associated with growth failure (weight <10th percentile at NICU discharge, p = 0.0004) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD, p = 0.005) despite less early weight loss and more rapid recovery to birth weight. CONCLUSION: Neonatal RS was associated with postnatal growth failure at discharge and BPD. Long-term follow up is warranted in infants with RS.