Early-onset preeclampsia exposure and hospital outcomes of very preterm infants: a retrospective analysis of feeding intolerance and hospital morbidities.

BACKGROUND

Maternal early-onset preeclampsia (EOPE) may affect gastrointestinal function in very preterm infants, but its independent association with feeding intolerance (FI) and in-hospital morbidities remains unclear.

METHODS

This retrospective 1:1 gestational age-matched cohort study included 87 very preterm infants (<32 weeks) exposed to EOPE and 87 controls born to normotensive mothers. The primary outcome was FI. The secondary outcomes included bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), late-onset sepsis (LOS), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC), extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR), and mortality.

RESULTS

EOPE-exposed infants exhibited a significantly higher incidence of FI (77.0% vs. 41.4%, P < 0.001) and a prolonged time to full enteral feeding (13.0 vs. 9.5 days, P = 0.017). Multivariable logistic regression identified EOPE as an independent factor associated with FI (OR=2.290, 95% CI: 1.061-4.944, P = 0.035). Lower birth weight was also independently associated with an increased risk of FI.

CONCLUSION

Maternal EOPE may be associated with an increased risk of FI in very preterm infants, underscoring the necessity for targeted feeding monitoring and nutritional support in this population.