Provision of Amniotic Fluid During Parenteral Nutrition Increases Weight Gain With Limited Effects on Gut Structure, Function, Immunity, and Microbiology in Newborn Preterm Pigs

Small enteral boluses with human milk may reduce the risk of subsequent feeding intolerance and necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants receiving parenteral nutrition (PN). We hypothesized that feeding amniotic fluid, the natural enteral diet of the mammalian fetus, will have similar effects and improve growth and gastrointestinal (GI) maturation in preterm neonates receiving PN, prior to the transition to milk feeding.Twenty-seven pigs,...