The Interaction of Early Exclusive Mother's Milk Feeding and Ethnic Background with Ultimate Feeding Outcomes After Very Preterm Birth.
Levene I., Adams E.
Background: Mothers of very preterm infants (born under 32 weeks' gestation) have specific lactation challenges. There is little literature related to the influences on exclusive maternal milk provision. Method: An observational cohort using prospectively entered clinical data in a single tertiary neonatal unit in the United Kingdom over a 2-year period 2019-2021. There were 112 infants born under 32 weeks' gestation who fulfilled inclusion criteria. Results: Average gestation was 27.9 ± 2.6 weeks at birth and 37.3 ± 3.3 at discharge. On day 4 after birth, 29% (31/107) received exclusive maternal milk. At discharge, 54% (60/112) received exclusive maternal milk. Exclusive maternal milk at day 4 was associated with exclusive maternal milk at discharge (adjusted relative risk 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.5-3.6, p