<p><inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="jn-18-1-editorial-ufig001" /> With increasing survival of low birth weight & sick neonates, the challenge to provide them adequate nutrition is growing. Every day, new evidence is emerging about the abilities and limitations of the neonates to handle various nutrients. Optimal nutrition is critical in the management of small preterm infants and has a significant impact on future outcome. The goal of nutritional therapy for premature or ill neonates has been to provide sufficient nutrients to allow growth to continue at rates seen in utero. Nutritional deficit at a critical and sensitive period of the neonate's development could have a lifetime impact on quality of survival (nutritional programming). There is increasing evidence that a suboptimal diet and early growth failure have long lasting effects including short stature, impaired health, and poor neurodevelopment. The ultimate aim in the nutritional management of the neonates is to provide adequate enteral nutrition. However, parenteral nutrition allows us to meet an infant's requirements for growth and development when enteral feeding is not possible due to various reasons. Many times, this proves to be a major life saving intervention.</p><p>Neonatal units in our country are now dealing with more & more VLBW babies. The present issue of the Journal of Neonatology deals with some of these issues in details. We have focused on various contentious issues related to VLBW nutrition like Osteopenia of Prematurity, Anemia, GER, Enteral Nutrition & Micronutrients.</p><p>The number of original articles are steadily increasing in successive issues of the journal. This time we have been able to devote a large portion of the journal to such articles. New features like innovation have been added. I hope the contents of this issue of the journal shall be useful for the readers.</p></sec></body></article></article></body></html>

JNNFI

Journal of Neonatology

0973-2179

National Neonatology Forum

jn-18-1-editorial

EDITORIAL

Editorial

Dadhich

J.P.

Dr.

1-32004

18111

<p><inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="jn-18-1-editorial-ufig001" /> With increasing survival of low birth weight & sick neonates, the challenge to provide them adequate nutrition is growing. Every day, new evidence is emerging about the abilities and limitations of the neonates to handle various nutrients. Optimal nutrition is critical in the management of small preterm infants and has a significant impact on future outcome. The goal of nutritional therapy for premature or ill neonates has been to provide sufficient nutrients to allow growth to continue at rates seen in utero. Nutritional deficit at a critical and sensitive period of the neonate's development could have a lifetime impact on quality of survival (nutritional programming). There is increasing evidence that a suboptimal diet and early growth failure have long lasting effects including short stature, impaired health, and poor neurodevelopment. The ultimate aim in the nutritional management of the neonates is to provide adequate enteral nutrition. However, parenteral nutrition allows us to meet an infant's requirements for growth and development when enteral feeding is not possible due to various reasons. Many times, this proves to be a major life saving intervention.</p><p>Neonatal units in our country are now dealing with more & more VLBW babies. The present issue of the Journal of Neonatology deals with some of these issues in details. We have focused on various contentious issues related to VLBW nutrition like Osteopenia of Prematurity, Anemia, GER, Enteral Nutrition & Micronutrients.</p><p>The number of original articles are steadily increasing in successive issues of the journal. This time we have been able to devote a large portion of the journal to such articles. New features like innovation have been added. I hope the contents of this issue of the journal shall be useful for the readers.</p></sec></body></article></article></body></html>