FOREWORD

The second International Conference on Preterm Nutrition, held in Rome in September 2008, dealt with several pertinent and emerging aspects of infant nutrition and care, not strictly limited to the problems consequent to pre-term birth. The workshop attracted a group of international scientists and eminent experts in neonatology and infant nutrition, as well as a competent audience of neonatologists and nutritionists. It is now generally accepted that the intestinal ecosystem has an important role in human health, especially because intestinal microbiota may play a non-secondary role in the postnatal development of the immune system. Diet has an important role in the colonisation of the gut, and it is well known that the dominant gut microbiota in breastfed infants are bifidobacteria, which are usually present, but not dominant in bottle-fed infants. Delivery by Caesarean section and pre-term birth have a strong effect on the development and establishment of the intestinal ecosystem. Useful information and new evidence on the complexity of intestinal microflora were presented by several lecturers during the meeting, confirming not only the importance of this topic but also that this important field of research still needs further investigation. Several lectures were dedicated to the much-discussed topic of vitamin K prophylaxis, both for pre-term and term infants. A consistent part of this section of the conference was dedicated to the different and still-controversial policies of vitamin K administration at birth, as well as possible alternative schemes of oral prophylaxis. Vitamin K status and metabolism in pre-term infants after different regimens of prophylaxis and nutrition approaches were also discussed. It was suggested that, given the low body mass and underdeveloped metabolic capacity of the pre-term infant, as well as the consistent intravenous supply with parenteral nutrition, the initial prophylactic dose requires proper tailoring. As usual, attention was given to the specific and relevant issues concerning pre-term nutrition. Topics covered within this section pertained to the composition of pre-term formulas, with particular reference to the elevated protein needs of very low birth weight infants. High protein intakes can be adequately covered only by special pre-term formulas tailored to the special needs of this group of infants, whose number is continuously increasing as a result of improvements in neonatal intensive care. The clear benefits of human milk, with a particular focus on the effects on the nutritional status and body composition of the pre-term infant, were also discussed. Other lectures were concerned with the vast field of neonatal infections, where interesting data were presented on the possible preventive role of lactoferrin, especially in pre-term infants. The highly qualified speakers and critically selected audience created optimal conditions for an animated and detailed discussion of the different issues, as well as other important topics related to the nutrition and care of infants. We sincerely hope that the proceedings of this meeting may offer the reader interesting information and valuable insights into several important aspects of neonatal care. Finally, the highly professional and competent role of “e-meeting and consulting” (Rome, Italy) as the organising secretariat, and the constant, precise and intelligent support of Dicofarm S.p.A. (Rome, Italy) are gratefully acknowledged.