Relationship between the Effects of Different Parenteral Nutrition Durations of Two Intravenous Fat Emulsions on Intravenous Nutrition-related Immune Status and Clinical Outcomes in Premature Infants

Abstract

Premature infants with immature gastrointestinal tracts rely on parenteral nutrition (PN) to meet nutritional and energy requirements for growth. In this study, we compared the nutrition-related immune status of premature infants receiving SMOF emulsions (multiple oil-fat emulsions) versus those receiving MCT/LCT emulsions (medium-/long-chain triglyceride emulsions) at different times during PN, and we analyzed the relationship between immune function and clinical outcomes.

Sixty premature infants from Dongxihu District People’s Hospital, recruited between September 2023 and September 2024, were divided into an observation group and a control group. The observation group received SMOF emulsions, while the control group received MCT/LCT-containing emulsions. We compared immune function, clinical outcomes, and complications between the two groups at different PN timings. The effects of fat-emulsion type on immune indices and their relationship with clinical outcomes were assessed using logistic regression and ROC analysis.

The clinical data of the preterm infants in both groups were similar. Immune function and clinical outcomes were better in the observation group than in the control group, and the complication rate was lower. Logistic and ROC analyses revealed that the type of fat emulsion was closely related to immune indices, and these immune indices were highly correlated with clinical outcomes.

Both interventions improved immunity in preterm infants, with better results in the observation group than in the control group. The use of SMOF emulsions was superior to MCT/LCT-containing emulsions in preterm infants requiring long-term PN, and this immune improvement significantly optimizes clinical outcomes.