Providing very preterm infants with donor human milk led to faster breastfeeding rates but worse biometric gains

Availability of Donor Milk for Very Preterm Infants Decreased the Risk of Necrotizing Enterocolitis without Adversely Impacting Growth or Rates of Breastfeeding

“…In our study, sequential weight, length and HC and their z-scores are similar between groups, contrary to previous reports [7,30,31,40]. What is more, the fall in weight z score at day 28 of life significantly decreased from group 1 to 2, although the difference was small (IC 95%: −1.18 ± 0.41 vs. −0.96 ± 0.66, p = 0.003) and disappeared by discharge time.…”

“…Since the introduction of DM, there has been a reduction in both the percentage of VPI that are fasted in their first two days of life and in the age at initiation of enteral feeding, in line with other reports in the literature (16 h in Castellano Yañez et al, 12 h in our data) [31]. The results of an international survey published in 2012 [32] showed that when DM was available, the start of feedings was earlier and faster, maybe reflecting a better gastrointestinal tolerance to human milk when compared to artificial premature formula [18,30].…”

“…There has been some degree of controversy regarding the impact of availability of DM on the rates of availability of own mother’s milk, with either stability or increase being reported. In our unit, the introduction of banked milk did not change the percentage of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge, and this is in line with the observation in a slightly more mature population of preterms [31] as well as with the conclusion of a systematic review [36], which found no differences in exclusive administration of OMM on the first 28 days of life or at discharge. An Italian survey published in 2013 [13] describes that units where DM is available show higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge, although this might reflect baseline differences in the attitude towards human milk feeding.…”

The Revolution of Breast Milk: The Multiple Role of Human Milk Banking between Evidence and Experience—A Narrative Review

“…Premature babies that fed on breast milk and even more with bank milk do not grow sufficiently [ 65 , 66 ]. After all, nature has activated its systems to contain the effects of a devastating occurrence such as premature birth, so much that the milk of mothers of premature babies is different [ 67 ], but cannot cope alone with this eventuality.…”

Highlights in this issue

“…In another paper, Castellano Yáñez et al. concluded that providing very preterm infants with donor human milk led to better breastfeeding rates, but less biometric gains.…”