Selected publications from our research team
Body composition of premature infants
Razzaghy J, Zhang L, Yi N, Salas AA. Predicting body fat percentage at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age in infants born preterm: A diagnostic accuracy study. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2023 Nov;47(8):1056-1061.
Jerome M, Chandler-Laney P, Affuso O, Li P, Salas AA. Racial differences in growth rates and body composition of infants born preterm. J Perinatol. 2022 Mar;42(3):385-388. [free article]
Salas AA, Jerome M, Finck A, Razzaghy J, Chandler-Laney P, Carlo WA. Body composition of extremely preterm infants fed protein-enriched, fortified milk: a randomized trial. Pediatric Research 2021 Jun 28:1-7 [free article]
Salas AA, Travers CP, Chandler-Laney P, Jerome M, Carlo WA. Percent Body Fat Content Measured by Plethysmography in Infants Randomized to High- or Usual-Volume Feeding after Very Preterm Birth. Journal of Pediatrics 2021 Mar;230:251 [free article]
Salas AA, Jerome ML, Chandler-Laney P, Carlo AA, Ambalavanan N. Serial assessment of body fat and fat-free mass accretion in very preterm infants: a randomized trial. Pediatric Research 2020 Nov;88(5):733-738. [free article]
Neonatal feeding practices
Razzaghy J, Shukla VV, Gunawan E, Reeves A, Nguyen K, Salas AA. Early and exclusive enteral nutrition in infants born very preterm. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2023 Dec 22:fetalneonatal-2023-325969. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2023-325969.
Salas AA, Gunawan E, Nguyen K, Reeves A, Argent V, Finck A, Carlo WA. Early Human Milk Fortification in Infants Born Extremely Preterm: A Randomized Trial. Pediatrics. 2023 Sep 1;152(3):e2023061603. [free article]
Durham L, Gunawan E, Nguyen K, Reeves A, Shukla V, Salas AA. Total Fluid Administration and Weight Loss during the First 2 Weeks in Infants Randomized to Early Enteral Feeding after Extremely Preterm Birth.Neonatology. 2023;120(2):257-262. [free article]
Aristizabal N, Holder MP, Durham L, Ashraf AP, Taylor S, Salas AA. Safety and efficacy of early vitamin D supplementation in critically ill extremely preterm infants: an ancillary study of a randomized trial. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2022 Jun 18:S2212-2672(22)00384-7.
Travers CP, Wang T, Salas AA, Schofield E, Dills M, Laney D, Yee A, Bhatia A, Winter L, Ambalavanan N, Carlo WA. Higher or usual volume feedings in very preterm infants: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Pediatrics 2020 Sep;224:66-71.
Salas AA, Li P, Parks K, Lal CV, Martin CR, Carlo WA. Early progressive feeding in extremely preterm infants: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2018. 107(3):365-370. [free article]
Salas AA, Kabani N, Travers CP, Phillips V, Ambalavanan N, Carlo WA. Short versus Extended Duration of Trophic Feeding to Reduce Time to Achieve Full Enteral Feeding in Extremely Preterm Infants: An Observational Study. Neonatology. 2017;112(3):211-216
Fort P, Salas AA, Nicola T, Craig CM, Carlo WA, Ambalavanan N. A comparison of 3 vitamin D dosing regimens in extremely preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial. J Pediatr. 2016 Jul;174:132-138. [free article]
Salas AA, Cuna A, Bhat R, McGwin G Jr, Carlo WA, Ambalavanan N. A randomised trial of re-feeding gastric residuals in preterm infants. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2015 May;100(3):F224-8.
Postnatal growth
Jerome M, Chandler-Laney P, Affuso O, Li P, Salas AA. Racial differences in growth rates and body composition of infants born preterm. J Perinatol. 2022 Jan 24. [free article]
Salas AA, Carlo WA, Do BT, Bell EF, Das A, Van Meurs KP, Poindexter BB, Shankaran S, Younge N, Watterberg KL, Higgins RD; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network. Growth Rates of Infants Randomized to CPAP or Intubation After Extremely Preterm Birth. J Pediatr. 2021 Jun 19:S0022-3476(21)00556-4 [free article]
Salas AA, Bhatia A, Carlo WA. Postnatal growth of preterm infants 24 to 26 weeks of gestation and cognitive outcomes at 2 years of age. Pediatr Res. 2021 May;89(7):1804-1809 [free article]
Neurodevelopment
Salas AA, Woodfin T, Phillips V, Peralta-Carcelen M, Carlo WA, Ambalavanan N. Dose-response effects of early vitamin D supplementation on neurodevelopmental and respiratory outcomes of extremely preterm infants at 2 years of age: a randomized trial. Neonatology 2018; 113:256-62 [free article]
Salas AA, Carlo WA, Ambalavanan N, Nolen TL, Stoll BJ, Das A, Higgins RD. Gestational age and birthweight for risk assessment of neurodevelopmental impairment or death in extremely preterm infants. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2016 Nov;101(6):F494-F501. [free article]
Oral feeding
Gentle SJ, Meads C, Ganus S, Barnette E, Munkus K, Carlo WA, Salas AA. Improving Time to Independent Oral Feeding to Expedite Hospital Discharge in Preterm Infants. Pediatrics. 2022 Mar 1;149(3):e2021052023.
Salas AA, Meads C, Ganus S, Bhatia A, Taylor C, Chandler-Laney P, Imtiaz MH, Sazonov E. Quantitative assessment of nutritive sucking patterns in preterm infants. Early Hum Dev. 2020 Jul;146:105044. [free article]
Quality Improvement
Benefield D, Salas AA. Orogastric Tube Insertion in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants. Advances in Neonatal Care 2021 [Video Abstract]
Microbiome/Metabolome
Salas AA, Willis KA, Carlo WA, Yi N, Zhang L, Van Der Pol WJ, Younge NE, Lefkowitz EJ, Lal CV. The gut microbiome of extremely preterm infants randomized to the early progression of enteral feeding. Pediatr Res. 2022 [free article]
Review articles
Jerome ML, Valcarce V, Lach L, Itriago E, Salas AA. Infant body composition: A comprehensive overview of assessment techniques, nutrition factors, and health outcomes. Nutr Clin Pract. 2023 Oct;38 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S7-S27.
Salas AA, Travers CP. The Practice of Enteral Nutrition: Clinical Evidence for Feeding Protocols. Clin Perinatol. 2023 Sep;50(3):607-623. [free article]
Perez K, Valentine GC, Nangia S, Burrin DG, Abayneh M, Workneh R, Jerome M, Dinerstein NA, Salas A. Advancement of Enteral Feeding in Very-low-birth-weight Infants: Global Issues and Challenges. Newborn 2022; 1 (3):306-313. [free article]
Trusted review papers
Cochrane review on early fortification practices
“Available evidence is insufficient to support or refute early fortification of human milk in preterm infants. Further large trials would be needed to provide data of sufficient quality and precision to inform policy and practice”
Cochrane review on early full enteral feeds
“Trials provided insufficient data to determine with any certainty how early full enteral feeding, compared with delayed or progressive introduction of enteral feeds, affects growth in preterm or low birth weight infants. We are uncertain whether early full enteral feeding affects the risk of necrotising enterocolitis because of the risk of bias in the trials (due to lack of masking), inconsistency, and imprecision”.
Cochrane review on human milk-derived fortifiers
“There is insufficient evidence evaluating human milk-derived fortifier with bovine milk-derived fortifier in exclusively breast milk-fed preterm infants. Low-certainty evidence from one study suggests that in exclusively breast milk-fed preterm infants human milk-derived fortifiers in comparison with bovine milk-derived fortifier may not change the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, mortality, feeding intolerance, infection, or improve growth. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate short-term and long-term outcomes”.
Cochrane review on high versus standard volume feeds
“High volume feeds (≥ 180 mL/kg/day of fortified human milk or preterm formula, or ≥ 200 mL/kg/day of unfortified human milk or term formula) probably improves weight gain during hospital stay. The available data is inadequate to draw conclusions on the effect of high volume feeds on other growth and clinical outcomes. A large RCT is needed to provide data of sufficient quality and precision to inform policy and practice“.