Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling
Published on: February 5, 2019
Breastfeeding success in infants with giant omphalocele
Diane L Spatz1, Katherine J Schmidt
1University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. spatz@nursing.upenn.edu
Insights
Human milk is crucial for infants with giant omphalocele, offering vital benefits during recovery. Early lactation support ensures mothers can provide this essential nutrition, aiding infant health and development.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal surgery
- Pediatric nutrition
- Lactation science
Background:
- Giant omphalocele necessitates complex surgical interventions and extended hospitalization for infants.
- These infants often face prolonged periods of being nothing by mouth (NPO), followed by gradual introduction of enteral feeding.
- Human milk is recognized as the optimal nutrition for all infants, particularly those with complex medical needs.
Observation:
- Human milk offers significant immunological, nutritional, and developmental advantages for high-risk infants.
- Initiating enteral feeds with human milk may mitigate morbidities associated with giant omphalocele.
- Extensive lactation support is vital for mother-infant dyads experiencing hospitalization stress.
- Maintaining milk supply and facilitating a transition to breastfeeding are key goals.
Findings:
- Human milk provision is achievable even for the most vulnerable infants recovering from omphalocele repair.
- Case studies illustrate successful implementation of human milk feeding in this population.
- Early and consistent lactation support positively impacts milk supply and feeding outcomes.
Implications:
- Integrating human milk into the feeding protocols for infants with giant omphalocele can improve health outcomes.
- Enhanced lactation support services should be a standard component of care for these infants and their mothers.
- Further research can explore the long-term benefits of human milk in this specific infant population.
Abstract:
Infants born with a giant omphalocele often require multiple surgeries requiring a lengthy hospital stay. These vulnerable infants may experience a long period of being NPO (nothing by mouth), followed by slowly advancing to enteral feeds. Human milk is the ideal method of nutrition for all infants and should be used to initiate enteral feeds in infants recovering from omphalocele closure surgeries. Human milk provides immunological, nutritional, and developmental benefits for high-risk infants and may play a critical role in preventing associated morbidities often associated with infants born with giant omphalocele. Because of the stress of hospitalization, mother-infant dyads should be targeted to receive extensive lactation support, which can help ensure maintenance of milk supply and successful transition to breastfeeding once the infant is healthy enough to do so. Two case studies are presented as exemplars, demonstrating that the provision of human milk for even the most vulnerable infants can be achieved.
