Parenteral Nutrition (PN)

After birth, intravenous fluid infusion is commenced at 80 mL/kg/day for VLBW infants and 100 mL/kg/day for ELBW infants. The infusion rate is advanced by 20 mL/kg/day on a daily basis till reaching a maximum fluid intake of 140–160 mL/kg/day including enteral feeds. The starting fluid consists of 10% dextrose solution mixed with 5% amino-acid solution at 1 g/kg/day. Dextrose concentration is titrated to maintain blood glucose level between 80 and 180 mg/dL, while protein administration is advanced by 1 g/kg daily till reaching 3 g/kg/day. Intravenous fat emulsion (intralipid 20%) is used at a starting rate of 1 g/kg only for babies with a birth weight ≤ 750 g and advanced to a maximum of 2 g/kg/day.