Immature Gastrointestinal Tract If your baby’s gastrointestinal tract is immature, he/she will need to be given nutrients through the Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) method. This method delivers nutrients directly to the bloodstream without passing through the gastrointestinal tract. Parenteral nutrition provides nutrients similar to those the baby would have received in the womb and allows the GI tract time to mature. Although total parenteral nutrition (TPN) contains nutrients similar to what babies get in the womb for growth, there are complications with long-term use. First, whenever TPN is used, the intravenous tubing used passes through the skin, which increases the potential for infection. Babies given nutrition through this method need to be monitored for infection, and antibiotics need to be administered if infection is suspected or detected. Again, it is important to adjust the nutritional content of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) according to the baby’s condition, even if the complications are not related to digestion. For example, some preterm babies are at risk for hyperglycemia (i.e., high blood sugar levels). Also, if the baby’s liver function is not good, her triglyceride levels may be high. If these occur, this indicates that the infant is not able to break down fats well. Also, prolonged use of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) puts the baby at risk of cholestasis (a condition that affects the production of bile by the liver). Bile retention can lead to jaundice. All babies on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) need to be monitored and have frequent metabolic tests to keep an eye out for metabolic complications of one kind or another. The composition of TPN is adjusted as necessary. In addition, a small amount of enteral feeding may stimulate the normalization of metabolic functions. Preterm infants who are nourished via the gastrointestinal tract have a number of complications that can lead to feeding intolerance. Feeding intolerance is the inability of an infant to swallow breast milk or formula, or to digest it. If an infant has frequent diarrhea, then there is a good chance that feeding intolerance is present. There are many causes of feeding intolerance. When you start tube-feeding your infant, each feeding is small and slow. When the amount of food is slowly increased, the infant may eat too fast or more than he/she can digest at a time.