Preterm infants fed Prolacta’s 100% human milk-based fortifiers achieved catch-up growth by age 2 with appropriate neurodevelopmental outcomes, study says

Study Published in Breastfeeding Medicine is One of Only a Few to Explore Long-Term Outcomes of an Exclusive Human Milk Diet Among Preterm Infants 

DUARTE, Calif.,  June 1, 2020 – Prolacta Bioscience^®, the world’s leading hospital provider of 100% human milk-based nutritional products, announced today the results of a long-term pilot study showing that premature infants fed an exclusive human milk diet¹ (EHMD) including Prolacta’s fortifiers reached the same healthy growth and developmental milestones by age 2 that are seen in full-term infants. The study was published in the May 2020 issue of Breastfeeding Medicine.

Authored by Erynn M. Bergner, M.D., and colleagues, the new study² is the first to concurrently evaluate long-term neurodevelopmental, growth, and body composition outcomes of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Researchers found:

• Preterm infants receiving Prolacta’s 100% human milk-based fortifiers returned to birth z-scores for weight, length, and head circumference by age 2.
• A similar percentage of body fat and lean mass in preterm infants at age 2, compared to matched term controls, with adequate bone mineralization.
• Not a single case of severe cognitive developmental delay using a Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (BSID-III) cutoff score of <70 at 18 to 22 months corrected age (CA).

“As we continue to optimize nutritional practices in the NICU and investigate an entirely human milk-based approach for the diets of preterm infants, it is important to follow the potential impact of these changes on health and development long-term,” Dr. Bergner wrote.

Bergner et al evaluated the post-discharge growth, body composition, and neurodevelopmental outcomes of a cohort of infants ≤1,250 g birth weight who received Prolacta’s fortifiers as part of an EHMD in the NICU.² The infants were studied prospectively at two outpatient visits: 12 to 15 and 18 to 22 months (CA). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and BSID-III were performed at 18 to 22 months (CA).

“The Bergner study demonstrates what we’ve long suspected – that the numerous health benefits we see in the NICU with Prolacta products as part of an Exclusive Human Milk Diet translate into longer-term neurodevelopmental and metabolic health outcomes,” said Melinda Elliott, chief medical officer for Prolacta Bioscience.

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, which have reduced complications and improved the health of more than 63,000 extremely premature infants globally. Prolacta is also 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 prolacta.com, on Twitter at @prolacta, on Instagram at @prolacta_bioscience, on Facebook at facebook.com/prolacta, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/prolacta-bioscience/.prolacta.com

Media Contact:
Loren Kosmont
Lkosmont@prolacta.com
310-721-9444

References:

1. An exclusive human milk diet (EHMD) is achieved when 100% of the protein, fat and carbohydrates in an infant’s diet are derived from human milk. This diet includes a human milk-based human milk fortifier.
2. Bergner EM, Shypailo R, Visuthranukul C, et al. Growth, body composition, and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years among preterm infants fed an exclusive human milk diet in the neonatal intensive care unit: a pilot study. Breastfeed Med. 2020. 15(5):304-311. doi:10.1089/bfm.2019.0210