Feeding VLBW Infants with Mother’s Own Milk in Southern Brazil: Every Week Counts – an Observational Study - Abstract
Objectives: To investigate whether changing maternal milk expression routine reduces exclusive mother’s own milk (MOM) feedings rate at discharge for very low birth weight infants.
Methods: Prospective observational cohort study with historic control, including infants with gestational age ? 30 weeks and/or birth weight ? 1500g. Patients were divided in two groups, according to maternal milk expression routine: at the hospital and at home (Group 1) or only at the hospital (Group 2). Main outcome was type of feeding at discharge (exclusive MOM, any MOM or formula). Independent variables were evaluated using Student’s t test, MannWhitnney, and Fisher’s exact test in univariate model. Variables with p <0.05 were included in a logistic regression model.
Results: We followed 433 patients up until discharge, 147 in Group 1 and 286 in Group 2. Group 2 received prenatal steroids more frequently, had lower gestational age, higher frequency of enterocolitis and higher post menstrual age at discharge. They also received less exclusive MOM (48/147 vs 157/286, p = 0.01). There was no difference regarding formula. In logistic regression model, only post menstrual age remained independently associated with exclusive MOM feeding failure at discharge. Every additional week of hospitalization reduced in 10% the chance of receiving exclusive MOMfeedings at discharge (OR 0.89; CI 0.83-0.96; p=0.05).
Conclusion: Reducing maternal milk expression and longer hospital stay are associated with reduction of exclusive MOM feeding at discharge. Each additional week of hospitalization reduced the chance of exclusive MOM feeding at discharge by 10%.