Why is breast milk important for premature babies?

The Vital Role of Breast Milk for Premature Babies
Breast milk is often heralded as the gold standard for infant nutrition, but its significance is magnified when it comes to premature babies. These fragile infants, born before 37 weeks of gestation, face a myriad of health challenges that make the unique properties of breast milk not just beneficial, but essential for their survival and development.
Nutritional Superiority
One of the primary reasons breast milk is crucial for premature infants is its optimal nutrient composition. Unlike formula, breast milk is tailored to meet the specific needs of a newborn’s immature body systems. It contains the right balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that are easily digestible and readily absorbed by a preemie’s developing digestive system. This is particularly important as premature babies often struggle with feeding and digestion, making the easily digestible nature of breast milk a significant advantage.
Immune Support
Premature infants are particularly vulnerable to infections due to their underdeveloped immune systems. Breast milk is rich in antibodies and other immunological factors that help bolster an infant’s defenses against pathogens. These components are crucial in providing passive immunity, which is especially vital for preemies who may not yet have developed their own immune responses. The presence of these protective elements in breast milk can significantly reduce the risk of infections, which are a leading cause of morbidity in premature infants.
Promoting Growth and Development
The growth trajectory of premature babies is often precarious. Breast milk not only supports their immediate nutritional needs but also promotes long-term growth and brain development. Studies have shown that infants who receive breast milk, particularly those who are premature, tend to have better outcomes in terms of growth metrics and cognitive development compared to those who are fed formula. The bioactive compounds in breast milk, including growth factors, play a pivotal role in enhancing brain development and overall health.
Feeding Challenges and Solutions
While the benefits of breast milk are clear, many parents of premature infants face challenges in providing it. The act of breastfeeding can be complicated by the infant’s health status, and mothers may struggle with milk production. However, expressing breast milk and using it in a bottle can be an effective alternative, allowing mothers to provide their babies with this vital nutrition even if direct breastfeeding is not immediately possible. Hospitals often support mothers in this process, offering guidance on expressing milk and ensuring that it is safely stored and fed to their infants.
Conclusion
In summary, breast milk is not just food for premature babies; it is a lifeline that supports their fragile health, enhances their immune systems, and fosters optimal growth and development. As healthcare providers and families navigate the complexities of caring for preterm infants, the emphasis on breast milk remains a cornerstone of neonatal care, underscoring its unparalleled importance in the early stages of life.

Which milk is better for a premature baby?

Breast milk for premature babies
Breast milk is the best food for your baby. If your baby is born prematurely, the breast milk you produce is especially suited to your baby’s needs. If your baby cannot breastfeed yet, you can express breast milk and give it to them in a bottle. This will help maintain your milk supply.

Why is it important for babies to drink breast milk?

Breastmilk has the nutrients that are best for your baby’s brain growth and nervous system development. Studies of breastfed babies have found that they do better on intelligence tests when they grow older. A breastfed baby’s eyes also work better. This is mostly because of certain types of fat in breastmilk.

When should I stop breastfeeding my premature baby?

Most babies are ready to wean between five and eight months of age. However, it is best to wait until they are at least three months corrected age so that they can develop enough head control. Few babies are ready to wean at five months, but you can start to look for signs that your baby may be ready (see next page).

Why is breastfeeding good for premature babies?

Human milk is the best source of protein, sugar and fat a baby needs to be healthy, especially for preterm babies who struggle during the first days and weeks of their lives. It also contains many substances that benefit a baby’s immune system, including: Antibodies. Immune factors.

How long do preemies need fortified breast milk?

Preterm infants should remain on fortified maternal breastmilk or preterm formula regimen for a minimum of 6 months corrected age and high-risk infants (e.g., h/o extreme prematurity, poor growth) may likely need to continue post discharge diet until 12month of corrected age to support adequate growth.

How much breastmilk should a premature baby drink?

How much should I feed my preemie baby? A baby who weighs about 4 1/2 lbs. usually needs 12-15 ounces of formula or milk per day. A good way to see if your baby is getting enough to eat is to observe how many wet diapers he/she has in a 24 hour period.

Does breast milk help premature babies gain weight?

Although breastfeeding causes newborns to gain less weight at the beginning of their lives than formula milk does, breast milk improves body composition by low adiposity.

What benefits do babies get from breastmilk?

Breastfeeding can help protect babies against some short- and long-term illnesses and diseases. Breastfed babies have a lower risk of asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breastfed babies are also less likely to have ear infections and stomach bugs.

What happens if you don’t breastfeed your baby?

In a meta-analysis of 7 cohort studies of healthy term infants in affluent regions, Bachrach and associates15 found that infants who were not breastfed faced a 3.6-fold increased risk (95% CI, 1.9–7.1) of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infection in the first year of life, compared with infants who were …

Is breast milk better than formula for preemies?

Evidence from observational studies suggests that feeding with maternal breast milk rather than formula is associated with a reduced risk of serious adverse outcomes including necrotising enterocolitis and infection in very preterm and VLBW infants (Lucas 1990; Battersby 2017).