Improved Outcomes and Reduced Costs: Exclusive Human Milk Diet for Very Low Birth Weight Infants at a Single Center

Abstract

Preterm infants born at very low birth weight (VLBW) are at increased risk of developing many highly morbid conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This leads to a significant emotional and cost burden for their families and the healthcare system. Previous literature has established that an exclusive human milk diet (EHMD) when compared to a diet containing bovine milk is associated with decreased incidence of several of these life-threatening conditions. This single center retrospective review at a hospital on the US-Mexico Border compares outcomes of VLBW infants pre- and post- initiation of an EHMD. Infants following an EMHD feeding protocol began fortification on average three days earlier and had their first feeds earlier. The EHMD group had lower incidences of both surgical and medical necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and fewer total parenteral nutrition (TPN), central venous line (CVL), and antibiotic days and fever blood transfusions with comparable growth outcomes. In aggregate, this yielded a substantial cost savings.