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This report presents the interim results up to 12 mo corrected age (c.a.) of a multicentric, prospective, controlled study on very low‐birthweight infants, randomized at 40 wk post‐conception in two different groups of formula feeding: 80 Kcal/dL (group A) vs 70 Kcal/dL (group B) up to 55 wk of postconceptional age. Subsequently, all the babies were fed with a follow‐on formula, with the introduction of solid foods at 6 mo c.a. Weight, length, head circumference and neurological conditions with psychomotor development (evaluated by the Griffiths’Developmental Scale) were measured at regular intervals and all of these parameters were satisfactory in both groups. For growth, in group A there was a greater increase in weight in boys at 55 wk and at 6 mo c.a., and small for gestational age (SGA) babies had a greater increase in length at 1 y of age, while head circumference caught up on growth from week 40 to week 55. Measured by the Griffiths’Developmental Scale, the SGA group fed 80 Kcal/dL had a better score at 6 mo; similarly boys fed 80 Kcal/dL had a better score at 6 and at 9 mo. Conclusion: Nutrition of very low birthweight infants post‐discharge could have an influence on physical growth and on neurodevelopmental outcome. This interim report needs to be confirmed at the end of the study.

Early neurofunctional evaluation may be useful in predicting later neurodevelopmental outcome in VLBW children.

Children born preterm may have aberrant adiposity. At school age, we evaluated body fat and fat distribution in 45 former preterm infants (birth weight < or = 1800 g and gestational age < 34 weeks) and 40 children born at term using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Children born preterm exhibited lower total body fat mass and total body fat mass index compared with children born at term. Fat mass indexes in the limbs but not the trunk were lower in children born preterm than in children born at term. In conclusion, children born preterm, evaluated at school age, may be at risk for altered regional adiposity.

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The 12-month neurofunctional evaluation may be an additional useful clinical tool in predicting later cognitive outcome in extremely low birth weight children.