Scolaris Content Display Scolaris Content Display

Multicomponent fortification of human breast milk for preterm infants following hospital discharge

This is not the most recent version

Abstract

Background

Preterm infants are usually growth restricted at hospital discharge. Feeding preterm infants after hospital discharge with nutrient‐fortified breast milk (rather than unfortified breast milk) may facilitate more rapid catch‐up growth and improve neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Objectives

To determine the effect of feeding with multicomponent fortified human breast milk versus unfortified breast milk on growth and development on preterm or low birth weight infants following hospital discharge.

Search methods

The standard search strategy of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group was used. This included searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2007), MEDLINE (1966 ‐ May 2007), EMBASE (1980 ‐ May 2007), CINAHL (1982 ‐ May 2007), conference proceedings, and previous reviews.

Selection criteria

Randomised or quasi‐randomised controlled trials that compared feeding preterm infants following hospital discharge with multicomponent fortified breast milk compared with unfortified human breast milk.

Data collection and analysis

The standard methods of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group were used, with separate evaluation of trial quality and data extraction by two review authors.

Main results

No eligible trials were identified.

Authors' conclusions

There are no data from randomised controlled trials to determine whether feeding preterm infants following hospital discharge with multicomponent‐fortified breast milk compared with unfortified breast milk affects growth and development. Given the potential for nutrient fortification to affect growth and development, this intervention may merit further assessment. Since fortifying breast milk for infants fed directly from the breast is logistically difficult (and has the potential to interfere with breast‐feeding), it would be important to determine if mothers would support a trial of this intervention. It may be that a trial should first focus on infants who are not able to consume ad libitum quantities of breast milk directly from the breast, who have poor growth or nutritional status, or who have on‐going additional metabolic requirements.

PICOs

Population
Intervention
Comparison
Outcome

The PICO model is widely used and taught in evidence-based health care as a strategy for formulating questions and search strategies and for characterizing clinical studies or meta-analyses. PICO stands for four different potential components of a clinical question: Patient, Population or Problem; Intervention; Comparison; Outcome.

See more on using PICO in the Cochrane Handbook.

Plain language summary

Multicomponent fortification of human breast milk for preterm infants following hospital discharge

Preterm infants are often much smaller than term infants by the time that they are discharged home from hospital. This review attempted to identify trials that evaluate whether feeding these infants with breast milk fortified with added nutrients rather than unfortified breast milk would increase growth rates and benefit development. No trials of this intervention were found. Whether undertaking such trials would be acceptable to mothers of preterm infants is not known.