This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between nutritional support and growth velocity after abdominal surgery in neonates.

The electronic medical records of 45 neonates who underwent abdominal surgery in neonatal intensive care unit from 2012 to 2016 were collected to see how surgery and postoperative nutrition affect for the growth of neonate with abdominal surgery. The growth velocity was measured from the time of surgery to the time of discharge based on body weight.

In neonates who achieve their protein requirement on the first day after surgery, the growth velocity was better than that in neonates who did not achieve their protein requirement on the first day after surgery (4.31 vs. 15.21; p=0.004). Based on the type of surgery, length of bowel resection and surgical complications, this study showed better growth velocity in neonates who had no surgical complications (5.34 vs. 12.74; p=0.775), reoperation (5.25 vs. 22.19, p=0.987), or bowel resection (6.79 vs. 9.95, p=0.302). However, there was no statistically significant difference among these factors.

We concluded in this study that adequate protein supplement from the first day of surgery could have a positive effect on the growth velocity of neonates who underwent abdominal surgery.