• Serum concentrations of growth hormone, insulin, free thyroxine, thyrotropin, cortisol, and glucose were measured during four time periods (0 to 4, 5 to 11, 12 to 18, and ≥19 days of life) in 16 mechanically ventilated very-low-birth-weight infants (mean [±SD] gestational age, 29± 1.4 weeks; mean [±SD] birth weight, 1017± 196 g) receiving total parenteral nutrition and in 21 very-low-birth-weight infants not requiring mechanical ventilator support (mean [±SD] gestational age, 30±1.7 weeks; mean [±SD] birth weight, 1149±210 g) fed enterally. There were no significant differences in the serum concentrations of the hormones or in the glucose levels between the two groups at any time interval. Present data demonstrate no significant difference in the serum concentration of glucose, insulin, growth hormone, cortisol, free thyroxine, and thyrotropin between very-low-birth-weight infants fed enterally and those maintained on a regimen of total parenteral nutrition.
(AJDC 1988;142:993-995)