Customized Human Milk Fortification Based on Measured Human Milk Composition to Improve the Quality of Growth in Very Preterm Infants: A Mixed-Cohort Study Protocol

Manuela Cardoso, Daniel Virella, Israel Macedo, Diana Silva and Luís Pereira-da-Silva
Additional contact information
Manuela Cardoso: Nutrition Unit, Maternidade Dr. Alfredo da Costa, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, 2890-495 Lisbon, Portugal
Daniel Virella: Research Unit, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, 1169-045 Lisbon, Portugal
Israel Macedo: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Maternidade Dr. Alfredo da Costa, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, 2890-495 Lisbon, Portugal
Diana Silva: Faculdade de Ciências de Nutrição e da Alimentação, Universidade do Porto, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
Luís Pereira-da-Silva: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Dona Estefânia, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, 1169-045 Lisbon, Portugal

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-10

Abstract: Adequate nutrition of very preterm infants comprises fortification of human milk (HM), which helps to improve their nutrition and health. Standard HM fortification involves a fixed dose of a multi-nutrient HM fortifier, regardless of the composition of HM. This fortification method requires regular measurements of HM composition and has been suggested to be a more accurate fortification method. This observational study protocol is designed to assess whether the target HM fortification method (contemporary cohort) improves the energy and macronutrient intakes and the quality of growth of very preterm infants, compared with the previously used standard HM fortification (historical cohorts). In the contemporary cohort, a HM multi-nutrient fortifier and modular supplements of protein and fat are used for HM fortification, and the enteral nutrition recommendations of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition for preterm infants will be considered. For both cohorts, the composition of HM is assessed using the Miris Human Milk analyzer (Uppsala, Sweden). The quality of growth will be assessed by in-hospital weight, length, and head circumference growth velocities and a single measurement of adiposity (fat mass percentage and fat mass index) performed just after discharge, using the air displacement plethysmography method (Pea Pod, Cosmed, Italy). ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT04400396.

Keywords: body composition; growth; human milk fortification; preterm infants; standard fortification; target fortification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:2:p:823-:d:482974

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