University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

CQC Registered Health or/and Social Care provider

Mark Johnson

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

nnrd15

Early growth of infants born below 32 weeks’ gestation has been previously described and has demonstrated that preterm infants routinely lose weight during their first week of life and do not regain their birth centile (or z-score) by the time they reach term corrected age 1. Recent data suggests that the pattern of growth described in this study is not inevitable and that improved growth can be achieved. A dataset of all preterm births in the UK is recorded on the National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD) held by the Neonatal Data Analysis Unit (NDAU) (managed by Imperial College London for the Royal Society of Paediatrics and Child Health). This database records data covering many aspects of neonatal care, including a comprehensive record of patient demographics/characteristics, growth, nutritional inputs and longer term outcomes. This study will use the NNRD to describe the current pattern of early growth of very preterm infants on a national level using similar methods to those described by Cole et al. It will look at variations in growth at a regional level and in relation to the level of care offered by neonatal units. This study will also integrate data regarding nutritional care from the NNRD to assess associations between nutrition and growth, and two year follow-up data to assess associations between early growth and subsequent growth and development.

REC reference: 20/SC/0073

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