Growth and Clinical Outcomes Before and After Implementation of a Donor Human Milk Program in Very Preterm and/or Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants

Background/Objectives: Mother's own milk (MOM) is widely recognized as the best source of nutrition for premature infants, with donor human milk (DHM) as the next recommended option. However, it remains controversial whether DHM confers the same benefits as MOM. We aimed to compare growth and clinical outcomes in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants before and after the introduction of DHM in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort of VLBW and/or very-low-birth-weight infants born between January 2018 and June 2023. Infants were divided based on birth date into Epoch-1 (pre-DHM, N = 98) and Epoch-2 (post-DHM, N = 138). Feeding groups included exclusive MOM (N = 112), MOM + DHM (N = 71), and MOM + Formula (N = 39). Baseline characteristics were compared between groups. The primary outcome was weight gain; secondary outcomes included incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), time to full enteral feeding, and length of hospitalization. Multivariable regression models were used to assess these outcomes while adjusting for relevant confounders.