Related Experiment Videos
Supplementation with human milk protein improves growth of small premature infants fed human milk
Insights
Supplementing premature infant nutrition with human milk protein significantly enhances growth, promoting weight gain and length velocity. Medium-chain triglycerides did not impact growth in very low birth weight infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Nutrition
- Pediatric Growth and Development
- Human Milk Composition
Background:
- Very low birth weight infants often experience suboptimal growth due to inadequate nutrient intake from standard human milk.
- Premature infants require specialized nutritional support to achieve growth rates comparable to intrauterine development.
- The protein content of banked human milk may not meet the high demands of extremely preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of human milk protein and medium-chain triglyceride supplementation on the growth of very low birth weight infants.
- To determine if enhanced human milk fortification can improve growth parameters in preterm neonates.
- To assess the adequacy of current human milk protein concentrations for supporting optimal growth in this vulnerable population.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 44 preterm infants (birth weight <1,520 g) was conducted.
- Infants were assigned to receive either plain human milk or human milk supplemented with protein, medium-chain triglycerides, or both.
- Growth parameters including weight gain, length velocity, and head circumference were monitored over the initial weeks of life.
Main Results:
- Human milk protein supplementation led to significantly faster weight gain (18.5 g/kg/d vs 15.1 g/kg/d) and improved length growth velocity (0.99 cm/wk vs 0.83 cm/wk) compared to unsupplemented milk.
- Medium-chain triglyceride supplementation did not significantly affect infant growth.
- A positive correlation was observed between serum albumin concentration and weight gain in the seventh week of life.
Conclusions:
- Human milk protein supplementation is effective in improving the growth of very low birth weight infants fed human milk.
- The protein concentration in standard banked human milk is insufficient for the adequate growth of small premature infants.
- Targeted nutritional strategies, including protein fortification, are crucial for optimizing neonatal outcomes in preterm populations.
Abstract:
We investigated the influence of human milk protein and medium-chain triglyceride supplementations of human milk feedings on the growth of very low birth weight infants during their first weeks of life. A group of 44 preterm infants with birth weights of less than 1,520 g and a mean gestational age of 30.3 weeks was randomly divided into four groups to receive plain human milk or human milk supplemented with human milk protein (0.9 g/dL), with medium-chain triglycerides (1 g/dL), or with both. The medium-chain triglyceride oil supplementation did not influence the growth of these infants. The infants given supplementary protein gained weight faster during weeks 4 to 6 than those without (18.5 +/- 0.7 v 15.1 +/- 0.6 g/kg/d; mean +/- SEM; P = .001). After 4 weeks of age the infants given supplementary protein had a mean weight gain equal to the mean intrauterine rate, in contrast to the infants of the other groups, who grew more slowly until age 6 weeks. Furthermore, we found a correlation between serum albumin concentration and weight gain during the seventh week of life (P = .018). The length growth velocity for the infants with protein supplementation was 0.99 +/- 0.06 cm/wk (mean +/- SEM) and for those without 0.83 +/- 0.05 cm/wk (P = .043). There was no difference in growth of head circumference between the groups. We conclude that human milk protein supplementation improves the growth of small premature infants fed human milk, and that the protein concentration of bank milk is insufficient for their adequate growth.