Neonatology Questions and Controversies: Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 4th Edition

By: Josef Neu, M.D. and Brenda Poindexter, M.D., M.S.

ISBN: 9780323878753

Pub Date: January 2, 2024

Reviewed By:  Jay P. Goldsmith, M.D. (Tulane University School of Medicine)

Description 

This book is part of the Neonatology Questions and Controversies series. It takes a mostly physiologic and futuristic look at several of the unanswered questions in neonatal nutrition, especially of the very low birth weight (VLBW) premature infants. For the clinician looking for guidance in everyday management in the NICU, a few chapters are very practical. 

Purpose 

The purpose of the book is to update the latest scientific research on the developmental biology of the neonatal gastrointestinal tract and its implications on neonatal nutrition, especially for the VLBW infant. These are worthy objectives as this is a rapidly changing field which are well met by this publication and the website. 

Audience 

The book’s primary audience is the more senior members of the NICU healthcare team. Sections on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and multi-omics should stimulate researchers and providers alike to delve more deeply into the developmental biology and pathophysiology of various neonatal disorders, including those outside of the gastrointestinal tract. The editors are internationally known experts in this field and many of the contributors are actively pursuing research in this area. 

Features 

The book is divided into 15 separate and standalone chapters, each reviewing the latest research in a specific area of this field. Many of the chapters deal with feeding and feeding tolerance of the VLBW infant. Chapters on intestinal mucosal immunity and the microbiome also discuss immune aspects of the gut. 

Much of the text is devoted to looking ahead at future diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of neonatal nutrition. The editors have provided a consistent chapter organization with many charts, graphs, photographs, and color drawings to enhance the manuscript. 

Assessment 

This is a well-written and intriguing text which covers a number of topics in the area of gastrointestinal developmental biology, physiology, and nutrition. 

It is not a complete text on neonatal gastroenterology, but it does have many chapters on clinical aspects of caring for the immature neonate. The reader in search of more than a standard approach to nutrition of the premature infant will find this text to be very informative and stimulating. 

©Doody’s Review Service, 2024, Jay P. Goldsmith, M.D. (Tulane University School of Medicine), Doody’s Score: 98 – 5 Stars! 

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