Term infants with gastroschisis benefit from human milk-based fortifier, new study suggests

21 May 2024 --- The newly presented study finds that term infants with gastroschisis who were exclusively fed human milk-based fortifiers achieved full enteral feeds — receiving full prescribed nutrition only through milk feeds — 30 days sooner and gained desirable weight faster than infants with the same condition who received cow milk-based fortifiers.

Gastroschisis is a birth defect leading to the intestines and sometimes other organs protruding through a hole in the abdominal wall. The study’s results demonstrate the benefits of the Prolacta Exclusive Human Milk Diet (EHMD) for term infants recovering from gastroschisis repair surgery.

 “Term infants who require surgery often experience poor growth and significant morbidities when a cow milk-based nutritional fortifier is used,” says the study lead author, Dr. Heidi Karpen of the Emory University School of Medicine, US.

“This pioneering study for infants with gastroschisis reaffirms the critical importance of optimal nutrition for the growth and health of medically fragile infants,” adds Melinda Elliott, MD, fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, practicing neonatologist and chief medical officer for Prolacta Bioscience, the world’s leading hospital provider of 100% human milk-based nutritional products.

The study was presented at the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) meeting in Milan, Italy (May 15–18).

Infant gastroschisis solutions
The birth defect requires a high macronutrient intake in order to ensure the affected infant’s optimal growth. Clinicians are now increasingly utilizing human milk fortification to address such nutritional concerns, which refers to the fortification of the mother’s own milk or donor milk to provide additional calories and protein.

However, only a short time ago, fortification was primarily with cow milk-based fortifiers or formula. Studies have since revealed that such fortifiers have been associated with feeding intolerance and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening condition in preterm infants.

Human milk-based fortifiers have been associated with improved growth and shorter time to full enteral feeds in term infants after gastroschisis repair.The ESPGHAN presentation titled “Human Milk-Based Fortifiers Associated With Improved Growth and Shorter Time to Full Enteral Feeds in Term Infants After Gastroschisis Repair” included data from a recently conducted case-control study. In addition to its other findings, the EHMD cohort reports higher weight gain velocity and less NEC, with no adverse events.

“It is well-established in the medical community and in hospitals across the country that Prolacta’s EHMD is beneficial for extremely low birth weight premature infants. This data demonstrates that the benefits extend to term infants who require surgery for gastroschisis repair,” asserts Karpen.

Elliott adds: “Safe and early postsurgical fortification with an EHMD helps address the specific feeding challenges impacting these infants. It also supports growth and decreases the risk of NEC, which may translate into improved long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.”

EHMD history
Prolacta’s EHMD has been available in hospitals since 2006, as a result of evidence suggesting that the bioactive components naturally occurring in human milk are thought to support infants’ immunity, development, growth and long-term health. 

Prolacta’s human milk products boast high bioactivity and are clinically proven to significantly boost human milk bioactive proteins and antioxidants. 

The company’s proprietary processing checks for pathogen inactivation to ensure products safety while retaining as much of the natural bioactivity of the milk as possible. 

Last year, Prolacta Bioscience announced it had made a synbiotic breakthrough using sugars from human milk oligosaccharides to heal the adult gut microbiome.

By Milana Nikolova