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Enteral Nutrition in Preterm Infants: ESPGHAN Recommendations

Improve your clinical practice as you discover the evidence-based ESPGHAN recommendations for effective enteral nutrition with this online course from ESPGHAN and CoN.

Duration

4 weeks

Weekly study

3 hours

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How it works

Unlimited subscription

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Gain an introduction to ESPGHAN

ESPGHAN is the leading global authority on neonatal and infant nutrition. On this four-week course, their experts will help you gain knowledge of nutrient intake based on the latest evidence. You can then use this knowledge to develop a safer and more effective clinical practice. This course is free to join for four weeks, with an optional upgrade cost.

The ESPGHAN CoN (Committee of Nutrition) provides key recommendations that you can take into practice and use to improve clinical care.

You’ll hear directly from neonatal specialists to ensure you finish the course with a sound understanding of enteral nutrition in preterm infants.

Delve into nutrient intake requirements

You’ll start by exploring nutrient intake recommendations including energy, protein, electrolytes, and vitamins.

Whilst investigating the evidence base for nutrient groups, you’ll also be introduced to other common practices, such as feeding modes and growth assessment.

Explore case studies in neonatal care

Unpacking further case studies, you’ll develop the skills to help you compare and contrast your own clinical practice, supported by expert input and the ESPGHAN CoN recommendations.

With this knowledge, you’ll be able to explain areas of uncertainty, such as where evidence-based is too limited to make a firm recommendation.

Develop your understanding of infant nutrition

During the final week of the course, you’ll discover the importance of involving parents and carers in preterm nutrition.

Hearing from personal experiences, you’ll explore breast milk fortification, donor human milk, supplemental bionutrients, and learn how to conduct a holistic assessment of nutritional status.

By the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to deliver more effective care in your clinical neonatal practice.

Week 1
Macronutrients
- Welcome to the course
  This activity offers an introduction to ESPGHAN, our educators on the ESPGHAN Committee of Nutrition (CoN), and will give you the opportunity to interact with other learners on this course.
- Introducing the ESPGHAN CoN recommendations and conclusions
  In this activity, you will be introduced to the evidence base and grading system for the recommendations and conclusions presented in the ESPGHAN CoN 2022 position paper.
- Exploring individual macronutrients
  In this activity, you will learn about the individual macronutrients that are important in neonatal nutrition. You will also learn how to calculate whether intakes meet requirements.
- End of week 1
  Test your knowledge in the end of week quiz, before our lead educator Professor Nicholas Embleton summarises the key learning points to take away from this week.
Week 2
Vitamins, minerals and micronutrients
- Water and electrolytes
  Let's learn about water and electrolytes, and take a look at our first case study.
- Minerals, vitamins and trace elements
  In this activity, you will learn about the importance of minerals, vitamins, and trace elements in preterm infant nutrition. Supplement your learning by interacting with 3 different case studies.
- End of week 2
  Test your knowledge with our end of week quiz, then watch a summary of this week's learning as presented by our lead educator Professor Nicholas Embleton.
Week 3
Water-soluble vitamins, feeding mode and growth
- Water-soluble vitamins
  Learn about water-soluble vitamins, osmolality, and hydrolysed protein.
- Approaches to feeding
  Learn about optimal feeding methods for preterm infants, including enteral or parenteral nutrition, nasogastric or orogastric tubes, and bolus or continuous feeding.
- Growth of preterm infants
  Learn how to measure growth and identify different forms of slow growth, before applying your learning through multiple case studies.
- End of week 3
  Test your knowledge of week 3 content and listen to a summary from Professor Nick Embleton.
Week 4
Working with parents and carers
- Involving parents and carers
  In this activity, you will hear personal experiences from parents and learn more about involving parents and carers in preterm nutrition.
- Human milk administration and donation
  Learn all about breastmilk, donor human milk, supplemental bionutrients and the importance of these in preterm nutrition.
- Breastmilk fortification
  Learn about the importance and individualisation of breastmilk fortification and solidify this learning through a case study discussion.
- End of week 4
  Test your knowledge of week 4 content and listen to a summary from our educator Professor Nicholas Embleton.
- End of course
  Test your learning with our end of course test.