Complementary Feeding Practices in Preterm Infants
Summary
Complementary feeding in preterm infants encompasses the transition from exclusive milk feeding to the introduction of solid and semi-solid foods at a developmentally appropriate time. Preterm infants differ from term peers in their physiological maturity, nutritional requirements and neurodevelopmental readiness. Their higher needs for protein, energy, iron and other micronutrients often persist beyond hospital discharge, and individualised approaches to the timing and composition of complementary foods are essential to support optimal growth, feeding skills and long-term health. Global guidelines for term infants cannot be directly applied to preterm populations, and there is considerable variability in practice. Key considerations include corrected age versus chronological age, acquisition of oral-motor skills, growth trajectories, ongoing micronutrient supplementation and the risk of adverse outcomes such as iron deficiency, faltering growth or excessive adiposity. A multidisciplinary strategy involving neonatologists, dietitians, speech and language therapists and primary care professionals is recommended to tailor feeding plans to each infant’s unique medical history and developmental progress.
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Complementary Feeding Practices in Preterm Infants publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in complementary feeding practices in preterm infants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Complementary feeding: introduction of solid and semi-solid foods alongside breast milk or formula to meet evolving nutritional needs beyond exclusive milk feeding.
Corrected age: the infant’s age adjusted for prematurity, calculated from the expected date of delivery rather than actual birth date.
Very low birth weight (VLBW): classification for infants born weighing less than 1500 grams, who often require specialised nutritional support.
Z-score: a standardised measure indicating how far an individual anthropometric value lies from the population mean, expressed in standard deviation units.
Weaning: the gradual process of transitioning an infant from reliance on milk feeds to a diversified diet of complementary foods.
References
- Effects of early introduction of solid foods on nutrient intake in preterm infants during their 1st year of life: a secondary outcome analysis of a prospective, randomized intervention study. Frontiers in Nutrition (2023).
- Introduction of Solid Foods in Preterm Infants and Its Impact on Growth in the First Year of Life—A Prospective Observational Study. Nutrients (2024).
- Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Timepoints for Introduction of Standardized Complementary Food in Preterm Infants. Nutrients (2022).
- Complementary Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review. Nutrients (2020).
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