Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy and Bone Density in Premature Infants

After a patient is screened and consent is obtained, participants will all be initially placed into group one. Patients will be later moved to group two if their treatment includes proton pump inhibitors. Group 1: Patients that meet the selection criteria that are not currently receiving any treatments for reflux or have other excluding conditions. Group 2: Patients that meet the selection criteria and are receiving proton pump inhibitors as part of their treatment in the NBICU. Participants in both groups will receive a bone density ultrasound when they begin full feeds, and every two weeks following until discharge. Participants will not be asked to participate in scans post discharge. Because most babies do not begin GER therapy until some time after they have reached full feedings, they will be placed in group two retrospectively. During each participating infant's hospital stay, the following procedures will be performed: Each infant will undergo all of the tests and procedures that would normally be done for his/her care including physical exams, vital signs, and monitoring respiratory status. Each infant will be weighed and and his/her length and head circumference will also be measured. This is also standard of care. After the initial scan, each participating infant will receive subsequent bone density ultrasounds once every two weeks until time of discharge. These bone ultrasounds are done by study personnel and will not be charged to the patient or the patient's insurance. The medications being evaluated in this study are not experimental. Patient care is to the discretion of the treating physician. Standard of care and treatment will not be affected by this study. The only procedures included in this study that are not a standard of care are bone ultrasounds, three weeks apart (number of ultrasounds depends on discharge, death, and other excluding criteria).