| Objective. To determine if feeding outcomes of the neonates in the Sioux Valley Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will demonstrate improvement with the implementation of a fully functioning interdisciplinary team that includes a Registered Dietitian.;Participants. Records from neonates with birth weights of 1500 grams or less from pre-fully functioning interdisciplinary team (January 1 through December 31, 2001) and from the post-fully functioning team (January 1 through December 31, 2004) from a Sanford Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.;Design. Data from the charts in two time periods (pre-interdisciplinary team and post-interdisciplinary team) was examined to determine if there was a difference in the outcomes of the neonates from due to fully functioning interdisciplinary team with an RD. Outcome variables included weight, weight gain per day, length, head circumference, and days to start enteral feeding of each infant. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine differences using PROC REG controlling for effect of birth weight. Differences were considered significant at the P< .05.;Results. The mean length of stay (LOS) between the two study periods (65 days, 95% CI 48-68 vs. 72 days, 95% CI 53-73) were not significantly different. Neonate's weight at the beginning of enteral feeding was significantly different between 2001 and 2004 (1099 g, 95% CI 955-1165 vs. 1164 g, 95% CI 1067-1211, respectively). Mean weight at beginning of enteral feeds, weight at full feeds, weight at discharge, total weight gained, weight gained per day, weight gained from birth to start of enteral feeds, and weight gained from birth to start of full feeds was significantly greater for 2004 neonates than 2001 neonates (Table 1). It was also made evident that the average head circumference growth between the two years was significantly larger in 2004.;Conclusion. More involvement of professionals on the NICU team with the addition of a registered dietitian improved the nutritional outcomes of very-low-birth-weight infants in NICU. |
