Dietary management of infants and young children with feeding difficulties and unsatisfactory weight gain using a nutritionally complete hypercaloric infant formula. practical considerations from clinical cases

ABSTRACT

Introduction

A decrease in weight velocity and feeding difficulties in infants may be caused by an inadequate caloric intake and underlying medical conditions.

Case description

By focusing on four clinical cases, this article illustrates the temporary use of a special infant formula in orally-fed and enterally-fed infants with unsatisfactory weight gain and special medical conditions such as gastrointestinal and neurological disorders. The formula was a nutritionally complete hypercaloric infant formula containing partially hydrolyzed whey protein. It was used after full consideration of all feeding options including breastfeeding.

Conclusion

Implementing appropriate feeding behaviors, adapted to age and potential comorbidities, is an essential prerequisite for therapeutic management. The use of a nutritionally complete hypercaloric infant formula can be helpful to manage unsatisfactory weight gain and feeding difficulties in infants.

KEYWORDS:

• Enteral nutrition
• feeding disorders
• feeding intolerance
• hypercaloric formula
• partially hydrolyzed whey protein
• unsatisfactory weight gain

Transparency

Declaration of Funding

Content Ed Net Switzerland provided editorial and medical writing assistance for the preparation of this manuscript; this assistance was funded by Nestlé Health Science S.A. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. The authors retained the editorial process, including the discussion at all times. There was no financial reward associated with writing the paper.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

Małgorzata Matuszczyk - lecturer fee, Nestle has received personal fees for lectures from Nutricia, HIPP, Nestlé, and Takeda. Paulina Mika-Stępkowska has received personal fees for lectures from Nestlé, HIPP, and Nutricia; and research grants from Nutricia foundation. Marcin Szary has received personal fees for lectures from Nestlé. Miroslaw Perlinski is an employee at Nestlé Health Science S.A., Poland. Jarosław Kierkuś - lecturer fee, Nestle has received personal fees for lectures from Nestlé and Nutricia. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the infants and their families, and the healthcare professionals at the affiliation center.

Author contributions

MM, PM-S, AS, MS, and JK were involved in the writing of the clinical cases, discussion and conclusion. They also contributed to the infants’ care. MP coordinated the development of the cases and provided support to the doctors for the use of the product. All the authors reviewed and approved the final article.

Ethical considerations

Informed consent was obtained from the parents/legal representative of the four infants for the publication of the present case reports.

Declaration of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.