Evidence · Systematic review or meta-analysis
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Milk Feeding and Morbidity in Very Low Birth Weight Infants.
- Allied health
- Breast milk and breastfeeding
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
- Enteral feeding
- Eyes and hearing
- Infection
- Late-onset sepsis
- Medical
- Necrotising enterocolitis
- Neurodevelopmental follow-up
- Neurology
- Nursing
- Nutrition and gastrointestinal
- Respiratory
- Retinopathy of prematurity
This paper is from 2018, more than five years ago. Newer evidence may have been published since.
Summary
This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the effect of human milk feeding on NEC, late-onset sepsis, retinopathy of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and neurodevelopment in very low birth weight or extremely preterm infants. It compares exclusive or any human milk with preterm formula, higher versus lower human milk dose, and pasteurised versus unpasteurised milk, pooling experimental and observational studies separately and grading certainty with GRADE. Human milk was clearly protective against NEC, with a dose-response effect, and possibly reduced late-onset sepsis, severe ROP and severe NEC. Evidence on pasteurisation was inconclusive, supporting efforts to increase mother's own and donor milk intake.
Summary written for NICUlearn. Always read the original.
- Licence:
- Open (Creative Commons)
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