An exclusively human milk-based diet is associated with a lower rate of necrotizing enterocolitis than a diet of human milk and bovine milk-based products.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the health benefits of an exclusively human milk-based diet compared with a diet of both human milk and bovine milk-based products in extremely premature infants.


METHODS
Infants fed their own mothers' milk were randomized to 1 of 3 study groups. Groups HM100 and HM40 received pasteurized donor human milk-based human milk fortifier when the enteral intake was 100 and 40 mL/kg/d, respectively, and both groups received pasteurized donor human milk if no mother's milk was available. Group BOV received bovine milk-based human milk fortifier when the enteral intake was 100 mL/kg/d and preterm formula if no mother's milk was available. Outcomes included duration of parenteral nutrition, morbidity, and growth.


RESULTS
The 3 groups (total n = 207 infants) had similar baseline demographic variables, duration of parenteral nutrition, rates of late-onset sepsis, and growth. The groups receiving an exclusively human milk diet had significantly lower rates of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC; P = .02) and NEC requiring surgical intervention (P = .007).


CONCLUSIONS
For extremely premature infants, an exclusively human milk-based diet is associated with significantly lower rates of NEC and surgical NEC when compared with a mother's milk-based diet that also includes bovine milk-based products.
Sullivan
Sandra
S
Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Schanler
Richard J
RJ
Kim
Jae H
JH
Patel
Aloka L
AL
Trawöger
Rudolf
R
Kiechl-Kohlendorfer
Ursula
U
Chan
Gary M
GM
Blanco
Cynthia L
CL
Abrams
Steven
S
Cotten
C Michael
CM
Laroia
Nirupama
N
Ehrenkranz
Richard A
RA
Dudell
Golde
G
Cristofalo
Elizabeth A
EA
Meier
Paula
P
Lee
Martin L
ML
Rechtman
David J
DJ
Lucas
Alan
A
D000818:Animals; D043302:Cultured Milk Products; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods*; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D008895:Milk, Human; D011379:Prognosis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology