Parenteral Nutrition in the NICU

Course overview

Parenteral nutrition (PN) can be a matter of life or death for infants in the NICU. Infants, particularly premature infants, often require nutrition support. PN is used in the first hours or days of life to maximize energy intake while oral or enteral feedings (or a combination of the two) are established. The urgency of initiating PN varies with gestational age and the infant's medical conditions. Infants have a higher metabolic rate and energy requirement per unit of body weight vs. adults. A delay in instituting PN can lead to dire consequences. This course provides the latest evidence-based recommendations to successfully implement PN in the NICU, including determining nutrient needs, explaining how to provide those nutrients, monitoring responses, and discussing how to deal with shortages in parenteral products