Nutrition Lab Provides Crucial Support for Developing Infants

Essential for the health and growth of all infants, adequate nutrition is especially vital for infants born prematurely or with complications. It is foundational to the development infants in the NICU need to thrive during hospitalization and after discharge. At Hoag, registered dietitians work together with neonatologists, occupational therapists and nurses to create individualized nutrition care plans for each infant in the NICU. Registered dietitians monitor nutrition orders and growth daily to provide recommendations to the team to optimize the health and nutritional status of each patient.

An important component of this care is provided by the Nutrition Lab where specially trained nutrition lab technicians prepare breast milk, donor breast milk and formula for feeding NICU patients. By preparing feedings in an aseptic and controlled environment, technicians ensure the safety and wellbeing of each infant, contributing to their successful progression out of the NICU and, hopefully, home with their parents.