HUMAN MILK FORTIFIER (HMF) AND VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (VLBW) INFANTS

Abstract

In order to maintain the advantage of breast milk (BM) feedings in VLBW infants without concurrent slow growth, a proprietary supplement of BM, HMF (by Mead Johnson) has been recently developed. We selected 4 VLBW infants for study and 5 for control with birth weights <1.6 kg (1.28 ± 0.22 v 1.26 ± 0.10 kg), all appropriate for gestational age. Study infants received banked BM with HMF; control received banked BM with the usual doses of Calcium (Ca) and Phosphorous (P) - 60 and 30 mg/kg/day respectively. Both received the same fluid intake (177.6± 11.2 v 176.4 ± 6.5 ml/kg/day) and Vitamin D (400 IU/day). Study group received significantly greater amounts of protein (3.2±0.2 v 2.0 ± 0.1 gm/kg/day), Ca (165.1 ± 10.4 v 118.6 ± 1.5 mg/kg/day), P (85.2 ± 5.3 v 56.4 ± 0.8 mg/kg/day) and zinc (1.8 ± .08 v .25 ± .05 mg/kg/day) compared to the control group.

Both groups tolerated the feedings to the same degree without development of necrotizing enterocolitis, clinical laboratory or radiological evidence of ricketts of prematurity. In spite of the small number studied, the study group gained weight significantly faster than the control group (Av. 16.3 v 14.1 gm/kg/day: p≤ 0.032 using the Manning-Whitney Test).

Conclusion: VLBW infants fed banked BM grew faster on HMF than on mere supplementation with Ca and P.

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