• The primary outcome measure will be the number of calories/kg taken enterally during the seven days after the four days of SAFEstart (or sham) treatment
  

Feeding intolerance is relatively common in the NICU. It can manifest as emesis, diarrhea, increased abdominal girth (bloating), or in the most severe cases as necrotizing enterocolitis. Feeding intolerance complicates the hospitalization, lengthens the hospital stay, and adds substantially to the cost of care. Feeding intolerance likely has many causes. One cause that may be particularly common in the NICU is atrophy of the intestinal mucosa, which occurs during enteral fasting (when a patient is NPO). Significant intestinal villous atrophy occurs after being NPO for even 1-2 days; even if parenteral nutrition is adequate.

We developed a method aimed at preventing intestinal villous atrophy of neonates who are NPO. We accomplished preclinical testing of the product, and we completed two Phase I clinical trials involving 60 neonates. Our preparation is a sterile, isotonic, solution that simulates human amniotic fluid in electrolyte composition, albumin concentration, and two enterocyte growth factors that are present in human amniotic fluid; erythropoietin and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. We termed the product SAFEstart, using the acronym Simulated Amniotic Fluid for Enteral administration.

SAFEstart has been tested in neonates who have never been fed, as a means of preventing villous mucosal atrophy. However, it has not yet been tested in neonates who develop feeding intolerance after several days or weeks of life. When feeding intolerance develops in such patients, the current treatments include changing formulas, continuous feeding, but does not include using SAFEstart.

It is possible that SAFEstart administration, 2.5 mL/kg enterally every three hours as we have previously done with preterm neonates beginning on the first day of life, would provide benefit to these older neonates with acquired feeding intolerance. If such infants have mucosal atrophy as part of their feeding problem, the growth factors in SAFEstart might indeed result in improved feeding tolerance.

We propose a Phase II exploratory trial among 20 neonates in the McKay-Dee NICU who develop the problem of feeding intolerance. Specifically, we propose that when feeding intolerance is diagnosed, 20 mL/kg/day of SAFEstart will be administered (every three hour gavage or nipple feedings) and that this will be continued for a period of up to one week, in an attempt to resolve the feeding intolerance.