A nutritional composition for very low birth weight infants which comprises 26 5 to 38 g/l of a source of hypoallergenic hydrolysed whey protein with a degree of hydrolysis between 8 and 20, 37 to 46 g/l of a fat source of which 20 to 50% is medium chain triglycerides and which has an n6:n3 ratio between 6 and 12 and 50 to 100 g/l of a carbohydrate source which composition contains between 3.2 and 4.0 grams of protein per 100 kcal.