Sex-differences in Mothers' own milk and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care and development
• Pediatric nutrition
• Neurodevelopmental research

Background:

• Preterm infants face unique challenges in growth and neurodevelopment.
• Optimal feeding strategies are crucial for improving outcomes in this vulnerable population.
• Existing research often overlooks sex-specific differences in response to nutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex-specific feeding patterns in preterm infants.
• To determine the association between feeding regimens, growth, and neurodevelopment up to two years corrected age.
• To identify potential sex-differentiated nutritional needs in the NICU population.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 216 preterm infants (gestational age 28 0/7 to 32 0/7 weeks) was studied.
• Daily feeding data (mother's own milk, donor milk, formula), growth, and pain/stress were recorded during NICU stay.
• Neurodevelopment was assessed using NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development.

Main Results:

• Females showed a positive association between growth and mother's own milk (MOM) intake before 8 weeks (p < 0.05).
• Sex-differentiated associations were observed between MOM intake and stress levels (p < 0.05).
• Higher MOM proportion correlated with better language/cognitive scores at 2 years corrected age in females (p = 0.01), but not in males.

Conclusions:

• A sex-specific "window of opportunity" exists for feeding interventions in preterm infants.
• Findings suggest tailored feeding regimens could mitigate sex-based growth and neurodevelopmental disparities.
• This research provides critical insights for optimizing nutritional support in neonatal intensive care units.