51 Donor Milk in the NICU: A Community Pediatrics Perspective

Abstract

Abstract Primary Subject area Community Paediatrics Background Use of pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) has been recommended as an alternative to formula for preterm or low birth weight infants when mom’s own breast milk (MOM) is unavailable. Studies show that compared to PDHM, formula-fed neonates had better growth rates but were at increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and feeding intolerance. Notably, most of these studies were conducted in tertiary-level NICUs. The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends PDHM as an alternative to formula for neonates admitted to NICUs. However, at time of study, PDHM was not offered in many community NICUs. Objectives The aim of this project is to determine whether the introduction of donor milk in the Level 2B NICU at Grand River Hospital has made a difference in rates of suspected NEC, feeding intolerance, growth, and length of hospital stay. Design/Methods We conducted a retrospective pre-post study comparing medical records of neonates in the NICU who met the criteria to receive PDHM 2 years after the introduction of PDHM at our centre (October 2017 to September 2019) to neonates who met the same criteria but were admitted prior to introduction of PDHM (October 2015 to September 2017) and thus received formula. Neonates who received privately purchased donor milk were excluded from our analysis. Results Gestational age and birth weight was similar for the PDHM (n=127) and control (n=120) groups. Compared to the PDHM group, formula-fed neonates were more likely to be transferred to a tertiary care NICU for concerns of suspected NEC (8.9% vs. 3.1%, p=0.017). When comparing any feeding intolerance, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.23). Neonates receiving PDHM had higher average daily weight gain (33.9 vs. 28.9, p < 0 .001), but were more likely to receive additional calorie supplementation. There were no differences in length of hospital stay. Conclusion The data from our community NICU support the current literature that infants who receive formula are at increased risk for transfer for suspected NEC compared to those who receive PDHM. However, in our centre, there appears to be no difference in rates of feeding intolerance, and neonates fed fortified PDHM appeared to have better growth rates. Results from this study can be used to guide the allocation of health care resources, and can be applied to other community centres. Future studies can look to replicating these results on a larger scale and analyze the cost-effectiveness of PDHM use in community centers.