Abstract
In the critical care of preterm infants, feeding is complex and potentially harmful to an immature gastrointestinal system. Parents have expressed the desire to be fully informed about what is being fed to their child, as this places them in the best position to nurture their child’s health. In the parent-engaged setting of the Necrotizing Enterocolitis Symposium, NICU parents expressed concern and confusion about how cow’s milk product and donor human milk product both carry the label “Human Milk Fortifier” (HMF). Accordingly, two online surveys were developed to characterize how the label HMF is used and interpreted in the NICU by parents and providers. Of 774 United States participants, only 21.9% of providers reported consistently describing the source of HMF to parents, and only 20.6% of parents whose child received an HMF product report knowing the source. Parents expressed that they were “not given information” regarding HMF, while both parents and healthcare providers expressed that “the label (HMF) is misleading”. This study documents the ambiguity around the label HMF as well as the need for more specific language and clearer communication.
Highlights
For new parents, feeding their baby is one of the most primal and meaningful experiences of their lives
Parents are informed of many neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nutrition and feeding practices, some of which actively rely on maternal production of milk for the infant
Parents commonly receive education regarding the lifesaving potential of mother’s own milk and pasteurized human donor milk for preterm and medically fragile infants, which can help protect against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, and death [1,2,3]
Summary
For new parents, feeding their baby is one of the most primal and meaningful experiences of their lives. During the NEC Symposium at the University of Michigan (2–5 June 2019, Ann Arbor, MI, USA), the patient-family advocates in attendance described the label HMF as ambiguous, vague, and misleading These patient-family advocates, whose babies received intensive care, expressed that they felt uninformed when they learned that their babies’ breast milk was being fortified with an HMF product that they misunderstood. These comments led to the development of this survey study examining parental and healthcare provider perceptions of HMF, as well as their understanding of the constituents and purpose of HMF
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
