The total energy requirement for growing premature infants is approximately:

• A. 40-60 kcal/kg/day
• B. 60-80 kcal/kg/day
• C. 90-120 kcal/kg/day
• D. 120-140 kcal/kg/day

Answer: (C)

Growing premature infants have high energy needs to support rapid tissue growth and maintenance of body functions, including thermoregulation. Their total energy requirement is typically about 90–120 kcal per kilogram per day. This range provides enough calories to fuel lean tissue accretion and overall growth without overloading the infant’s immature metabolism. Lower ranges (40–60 or 60–80 kcal/kg/day) are generally insufficient to support the rapid growth these babies need, while a higher range (120–140 kcal/kg/day) may be used only in specific, often more extreme metabolic situations. So, the general approximation most often used is 90–120 kcal/kg/day.