Biological Research For Nursing

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Steward, D. K.
Right arrow Articles by Pridham, K. F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Steward, D. K.
Right arrow Articles by Pridham, K. F.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Biological Research For Nursing, Vol. 2, No. 3, 198-205 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/109980040100200305

Stability of Respiratory Quotient and Growth Outcomes of Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Deborah K. Steward, RN, PhD

College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, 1585 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210; phone: (614) 292-4978; fax: (614) 292-4948steward.20{at}osu.edu

Karen F. Pridham, RN, FAAN, PhD

University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Nutritional management of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants involves promoting growth at rates that mimic intrauterine rates. Nutritional intake at the recommended energy level to promote growth results in fat accretion at levels that exceed intrauterine rates for fat accretion. The respiratory quotient (RQ), the ratio of carbon dioxide produced to oxygen consumed during oxidation, provides a measure of the percentage of substrates used for energy. An RQ of greater than 0.9 indicates carbohydrate is used to meet energy needs, allowing the majority of fat intake to be stored as newtissue. The purpose of this study was to examine the stability of the RQ across time in relation to nutritional intake and growth in VLBW infants. Subjects were 9 enterally fed VLBW infants. Measurements to determine the RQ were obtained weekly for 3 weeks by indirect calorimetry. Nutritional intake and growth velocity were examined. There was no significant difference in the RQ across 3 weeks. The mean (± SD) RQs for each of the 3 weeks were 1.08 (±0.04), 1.06 (±0.05), and 1.06 (±0.07), respectively. No significant differences were found across the 3 weeks for any of the macronutrient variables. Growth velocity for the period was 15.7 g/kg/day. By discharge from the NICU, 66% of the infants had weights less than the 10th percentile on an intrauterine growth reference. An RQ greater than 1.0 indicates VLBW infants are depositing excess fat. However, increased accretion rates of fat did not improve the growth outcomes of these VLBW infants.

Key Words: Respiratory quotient • very low birth weight infant • premature infant • growth • indirect calorimetry • nutrition


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
P. N Jordan and K. D Hall
Dynamic coordination of macronutrient balance during infant growth: insights from a mathematical model
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2008; 87(3): 692 - 703.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]