Human Milk Intake and Neurodevelopment in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between volume and proportion of human milk received by very low birth weight infants and developmental outcome at age 18-24 months. Methods: We studied infants born at 410-1500 grams birth weight enrolled in either the "Effect of Education and Lactation Counseling to Mothers Who Deliver Very Low Birth Weight Infants" cohort from 2001-2003 or the "Nutritional Factors and Brain Wave Maturation in Extremely Low Gestational Age Neonates" study cohort from 2005-2008. We calculated the volume of human milk and proportion of human milk in enteral feedings during hospitalization and evaluated its associations with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) at 18-24 months adjusted age. Multivariate analysis was conducted to control for characteristics associated with human milk provision and neurodevelopment. Results: Proportion of human milk in enteral intake during neonatal hospitalization is associated with higher MDI score, but not PDI score, in some models. Volume of human milk intake is not associated with higher MDI or PDI scores. Conclusion: Given the potential confounding effect of infant size on volume of enteral intake received during neonatal hospitalization, proportion of enteral intake consisting of human milk may be a useful focus of future research and intervention.Master of Public Healt