Effect of Enteral Olive Oil Supplement on Weight Gain, Length of Hospital Stay, and Development of Some Complications in Preterm Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the present research is to compare the nutritional status, weight gain, length of hospital stay, and development of some complications in very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants who received and did not receive olive oil supplementation enterally.
METHODS: This study was a single-blind, randomized controlled trial with 96 VLBW infants (intervention: 48, control: 48) in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In this study, infants who met inclusion criteria for the study were divided into two groups by using random numbers table. The same feeding protocol (breast milk and/or formula milk) was applied to the infants in both groups. From the seventh day of life (after starting to take 25-30 ml/kg/day orally), 0.5 cc/30 ml of olive oil was added to the milk at each feeding of the infants in the intervention group.
RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, the infants in the intervention group had a higher daily weight gain rate in the first month and a higher weight on the tenth day, a shorter transition time to full enteral feeding, a higher amount of calories on the day of transition to full enteral feeding, and a shorter length of hospital stay (p<0.05). Furthermore, the need for rectal enema and the prevalence of sepsis, gastrointestinal system intolerance, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were significantly lower in the intervention group in comparison with the control group (p<0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that olive oil supplementation enterally administered to preterm infants can be recommended since it positively affects the development of infants.
Trial registration The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with the following ID: NCT05815849. The study was retrospectively registered by 14 April 2023.