Supporting Direct Breastfeeding for a Tracheostomy-Dependent Extremely Premature Infant: A Case Study

The benefits of human milk for preterm infants are well documented. Complex medical conditions can limit the extremely premature infant's ability to breastfeed and to receive human milk directly, yet these vulnerable infants may benefit most from receiving it.

Extremely preterm infants are at risk for infections, digestive challenges, and chronic lung disease, and occasionally require a tracheostomy to facilitate weaning from mechanical ventilation. There is a risk of aspiration when orally feeding a child with a tracheostomy. This case study describes a tertiary neonatal team supporting a family's direct breastfeeding goal in an extremely premature infant with a diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia requiring a tracheostomy.

Initially, the infant participant (born at 24 weeks and 3 days of gestation, with a birthweight of 540 g) was gavage fed with human milk. The interdisciplinary team collaborated with the family to guide the infant's feeding goals, providing positive oral stimulation with soothers, oral immune therapy, and frequent skin-to-skin contact to prepare for future oral feeding. Within a month of the tracheotomy procedure, oral feeding was initiated, and direct breastfeeding with the tracheostomy tubing in place was achieved at 50 weeks and 1 day of age as a primary source of nutrition.

The open dialogue between the family and healthcare team was the foundation for trialing direct breastfeeding for an extremely premature infant with a tracheostomy. While direct breastfeeding of full-term infants with tracheostomies has been previously described in the literature, this is the first case study of an extremely premature infant with a tracheostomy transitioning to direct breastfeeding.