Multiple NICUs showed improved growth & lung health in premature infants by fortifying feeds safely in the first days of life with Prolacta’s 100% human milk-based fortifiers

New Study Showed Premature Infants Fed Prolacta’s Fortifiers in the First Days of Life Resulted in Faster Growth and 15% Less Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

DUARTE,Calif., July 14, 2020 –  Prolacta Bioscience^®, the world’s leading hospital provider of 100% human milk-based nutritional products, announced today the results of an independent, multicenter study of 394 extremely premature infants that demonstrated the benefits of an early versus late fortification feeding protocol. According to this study, the use of Prolacta’s fortifiers in the first days of life helped premature infants achieve better growth and is associated with significantly less bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)/chronic lung disease of prematurity (CLD), all without compromising safety. The study was led by author Robert K Huston, M.D., and published in the Journal of Neoantal-Perinatal Medicine.

Lung health is an important short- and long-term outcome for preterm infants. However, because the lungs are among the last organs to mature in the womb, lung dysfunction such as BPD/CLD, is common in preterm infants. Neonatal nutrition is a critical consideration in addressing lung health; however, many neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) delay adding a fortifier to extremely premature infants’ feeds due to the risk of complications associated with cow milk-based fortifiers.

This study showed that adding Prolacta’s human milk-based fortifiers in the first days of life resulted in greater growth velocities for weight and head circumference and a 15% reduction in BPD/CLD (P = 0.008), compared with infants who received late fortification.

These benefits were seen without an increase in complications. Infants who received early fortification in the study did not show significant increases in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or surgical NEC, life-threatening complications that limit the use of early fortification with cow milk-based fortifiers.

The Huston Early Fortification Study investigators compared the outcomes of infants born weighing 500 to 1,250 g whose feedings included mother’s own milk, donor milk when needed, and Prolacta’s human milk-based fortifiers at less than 60 mL/kg/day (early fortification) or greater than 60 mL/kg/day (late fortification).

“The Huston Early Fortification Study provides further data to support the practice of early fortification in extremely premature infants,” said Melinda Elliott, MD, chief medical officer of Prolacta Bioscience. “Not only was early fortification proven safe, it also enhanced growth and reduced the incidence of BPD.”

About Prolacta Bioscience
Prolacta Bioscience® Inc. is a privately held life sciences company dedicated to Advancing the Science of Human Milk®. Prolacta is the world’s leading hospital provider of 100% human milk-based nutritional products. These life-saving products have reduced complications and improved the health of more than 63,000 extremely premature infants globally. In addition, the company is exploring the therapeutic potential of human milk across a wide spectrum of human diseases, including applications for infants requiring surgery for congenital cardiac and gastrointestinal disorders. Operating the world’s first pharmaceutical-grade human milk processing facilities, Prolacta leads the industry with the highest quality and safety standards for the screening and testing of donor milk. Prolacta is a global company with headquarters in Duarte, California, and can be found online at www.prolacta.com, on Twitter @prolacta, on Instagram @prolacta_bioscience, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prolacta and LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/prolacta-bioscience/.