Abstract: Objective To explore the clinical effects of early enteral nutrition treatment on short-term prognosis of very low birth weight infants. Methods 136 cases of very low birth weight infants based on the start time of enteral nutrition therapy were divided into group A (3 days, 73 cases), group B (4 - 6 days, 41 cases) and group C (>7 days, 22 cases) of three groups. The growth hormone (hGH) and insulin like growth factor -1 (IGF-1) levels before and after treatment were detected, and the changes growth rate and digestive function improvement were recorded and analyzed. Results The gastrointestinal symptoms, the head circumference and body weight growth rate in three groups of low birth weight infants had no significant difference (P>0.05). The amounts of milk in group A at first week were higher than those in B group and C group (P < 0.05), group B yield higher than that of C group (P<0.05). At second and 3rd weeks, the amounts of milk in group A and group B were higher than those in group C (P<0.05); the incidence of nosocomial infection in group A was significantly lower than that in C group (P<0.05). At first week, the height growth rate in Group A was higher than that of group B and group C (P<0.05), and group B higher than that in group C (P<0.05). The time to reach full enteral nutrition in group A was shorter than that of group B and group C (P<0.05), and group B shorter than that in group C (P<0.05). The hGH and IGF-1 levels in group A were higher than those in group B and group C, and group B higher than that in group C (P<0.05). Conclusion The early enteral nutrition treatment could increase the amount of feeding in very low birth weight infants, shorten the time to reach full enteral nutrition, central venous catheter time and hospitalization time.