Benefits of human milk for premature infants
The most recent policy statement from the Section on Breastfeeding of the American Academy of Pediatrics represents a significant shift from previous statements in its recommendation that all preterm infants should receive human milk, with pasteurized donor milk rather than premature infant formula the preferred alternative if a mother is unable to provide an adequate volume.18 The current recommendation is based on an impressive array of benefits that human milk provides to this highly vulnerable population, including decreased rates of late-onset sepsis,19 necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC),20, 21 and retinopathy of prematurity,22, 23 fewer re-hospitalizations in the first year of life,24 and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.24–26 In addition, premature infants that receive human milk have lower rates of metabolic syndrome, lower blood pressure27 and low-density lipoprotein levels,28 and less insulin and leptin resistance29 when they reach adolescence, compared to premature infants receiving formula.