State of the Art: Precision Nutrition in Preterm Infants

Unique from term infants, preterm infants’ enteral nutrition is not self-regulated. Feeding occurs according to a timed schedule with nutrient intake and feeding volume determined by the neonatal staff, while baby is required to metabolize what is fed. Christoph Fusch, MD, PhD, discusses evidence that reveals how to measure and strategically determine micro- and macronutrient needs for preterm neonates. He reviews the impact of balanced nutrient intake and nutritional research studies in preterm infants on clinical outcomes, as well as the significance of applying postnatal growth trajectories and optimal nutrition needs of preterm infants. Although the gold standard, mother’s breast milk can vary, and may not provide adequate nutrients for essential growth and neurodevelopment needed in preterm infants. Precision nutrition allows the neonatal staff to adjust nutritional content—including the appropriate amount of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat to result in optimal growth and development—according to individual preterm needs.

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  Christoph Fusch, MD, PhD

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  Christoph Fusch, MD, PhD, is chief of the department of pediatrics at Nuremberg General Hospital and a professor of pediatrics at Paracelsus Medical School in Nuremberg, Germany. Dr. Fusch obtained his medical degree and pediatric training at the University of Tübingen in Germany, where he was awarded a doctorate after completing training in MR research and neonatology in Switzerland. 

  Dr. Fusch held a number of academic, clinical and research positions at hospitals and universities in Germany and Switzerland before joining the faculty of McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, one of Canada’s largest pediatric academic teaching hospitals. He was the inaugural holder of the Jack Sinclair Chair in Neonatology at McMaster University and maintains his affiliation with that institution as a professor emeritus. 

  As the author or coauthor of more than 150 scientific papers, Dr. Fusch’s work has been published in several prestigious medical journals including the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Pediatric Research, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Pediatrics, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA. He has also been a contributor to a number of books on neonatal intensive care, nutrition, and placenta research.

  Dr. Fusch’s research focuses on improving short- and long-term outcomes in premature infants and high-risk neonates and he has received funding from numerous government and private sector organizations. His work includes studying the creation of an artificial placenta to reduce mortality and improve survival in infants with severe pulmonary insufficiencies; understanding the role of the placenta to fetal nutrition; and optimizing postnatal growth by targeting the composition of parenteral and enteral nutrition. Dr. Fusch collaborates with neonatal intensive care units in Canada, Germany and Switzerland, as well as with a number of research institutions in the United States.

  Dr. Fusch is a member of several international organizations including the Canadian Pediatric Society, the German Pediatric Society, the European Society for Pediatric Research and the Swiss Society for Neonatology.

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  Christoph Fusch, MD, PhD

  Professor of Pediatrics, Paracelsus Medical School
  Professor Emeritus, McMaster University
  Chief, Department of Pediatrics
  Nuremberg General Hospital
  Nuremberg, Germany