To investigate the effect of umbilical vein catheterization (UVC) on early postnatal nutritional state of preterm infants.

All preterm babies who received central vena catheterization at our department from January 2017 to February 2019 were divided into UVC group, UVC+ peripherally inserted central catheterization (PICC) group, and PICC group according to the type of catheterization. And the control group cases were chosen from those who did not receive central vena catheterization. Nutrition state and nutritional/catheter-related complications were compared among different groups to investigate the effect of UVC on early postnatal nutrition of preterm infants.

Gestational age, sex, mode of delivery, birth weight, and severe postnatal complications such as asphyxia and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome did not differ significantly between the UVC group and control group (P>0.05), while age at which birth weight was restored, age at which adequate feeding was achieved, and average daily weight gain during hospitalization were significantly better in the UVC group than in the control group (P<0.05). Other indexes including adequate feeding rate till discharge, cure and discharge rates, hospitalization time, albumin increase, abnormal direct bilirubin (DBil) and alanine transaminase (ALT) rates, feeding intolerance rate, and the incidence of sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) had no statistical differences (P>0.05). Sex composition and mode of delivery were comparable between the UVC+ PICC and PICC group, while gestational age, birth weight, and rate of perinatal complications were significantly worse in the UVC+ PICC group than in the PICC group (P<0.05). In terms of nutritional index, the UVC+ PICC group had significantly better albumin increase, the abnormal DBil rate and feeding intolerance rate (P<0.05), although there were no statistical difference in age at which birth weight was restored, age at which adequate feeding was achieved, average daily weight gain during hospitalization, cure and discharge rates, hospitalization time, adequate feeding rate till discharge, abnormal ALT rate, or incidence of sepsis and NEC (P>0.05).

UVC, either used individually or in combination with PICC, can improve early postnatal nutritional state of preterm infants, without increasing the incidence of nutritional/catheter-related complications.