Press Releases
CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.--June 09, 2015-- Prolacta Bioscience®, the pioneer in human milk-based neonatal nutritional products, today announced the formation of a national Nutrition Advisory Committee. The Nutrition Advisory Committee is comprised of leading registered dietitians including professionals certified in nutrition support and board-certified specialists in pediatric nutrition. The goal of the Nutrition Advisory Committee is to provide neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) with clinical expertise, research, insights, and guidance on premature infant nutrition and the use of an exclusive human milk diet.
“Creating a national Nutrition Advisory Committee is an exciting step for Prolacta,” said Scott Elster, president and CEO of Prolacta Bioscience. “We’ve heard from countless hospitals and neonatologists about the need for education and support around neonatal nutrition and the growing use of an exclusive human milk diet, so we brought together experts in the field to serve as a resource to their fellow clinicians.”
Critically ill and premature infants have special nutritional needs requiring higher levels of fat, protein and calories, and a different approach to nutrition support, than full-term babies need. Nutrition Advisory Committee members stay current on clinical data and trends within the NICU. They are actively involved in nutrition research within their own institutions, and many have published in peer reviewed medical and nutrition journals, and frequently serve as advocates for the health, well-being and survival of premature infants.
“Having the opportunity to be a resource for other NICU clinicians regarding nutrition care of premature and term infants is very exciting and rewarding,” said Catherine Laarman, RD, CSP and member of the Nutrition Advisory Committee. “The most important work we do for the Nutrition Advisory Committee is to share ideas and evidence-based practices with others who may need some guidance to provide the best care for their patients.”
Beginning in June 2015, members of the Nutrition Advisory Committee will be hosting monthly webinars to share information directly with fellow clinicians. Topics will focus on premature infant nutrition and will include guidance on standardizing feeding protocols in the NICU, growth and macronutrients for premature infants, and implementing donor milk in the NICU.
Growing scientific evidence supports the health benefits of an exclusive human milk diet for premature infants in the NICU, as opposed to cow milk-based nutrition or formula. A report published in 2014 in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine found an increase in the likelihood of developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), NEC requiring surgery, or sepsis, as the amount of cow milk-based protein fed to the infants in the control group increasedi. NEC is one of the leading causes of mortality among preterm babies.
Another study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that successfully incorporating a human milk caloric fortifier made from pasteurized human milk cream into premature infants’ diets improved their growth outcomes in the NICU. Since human breast milk is highly variable, a significant percentage typically contains less than 20 calories per fluid ounce. Adding a human milk-derived cream supplement to mom’s own or donor breast milk, when less than 20 calories are present, provides the nutrition these preemies need for growth.ii
Prolacta Bioscience, the world leader in providing donor breast milk formulations to hospitals, offers the first and only complete line of human milk-based Neonatal Nutritional Products. When used as part of an exclusive human milk diet,iii,iv,v Prolacta’s products are clinically proven to improve health outcomes, decrease mortality vi and reduce healthcare system costs vii for critically ill preemies in the NICU. All Prolacta products are derived from 100-percent human breast milk and are formulated to meet the needs of extremely premature infants in the NICU. This includes a standardized pasteurized milk formulation for use in NICUs, which supports the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recommendation that all preterm infants receive breast milk, be it a mother’s own or donor milk.viii
Prolacta Bioscience, Inc. is a privately-held life sciences company dedicated to Advancing the Science of Human Milk.® The company pioneered the development of human milk-based Neonatal Nutritional Products to meet the needs of critically ill, premature infants in the NICU. Prolacta leads the industry in the quality and safety of nutritional products made from breast milk and operates the first and only pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing facility for the processing of human breast milk. For more information please visit www.prolacta.com.
i Abrams S, et al., “Greater Mortality and Morbidity in Extremely Preterm Infants Fed a Diet Containing Cow Milk Protein Products.” Breastfeeding Medicine. 2014;9(6):281-285
ii Hair A, et al., “Randomized Trial of Human Milk Cream as a Supplement to Standard Fortification of an Exclusive Human Milk-Based Diet in Infants 750-1250g Birth Weight.” Journal of Pediatrics. 2014;165(5):915-920
iii Sullivan S, et al., “An Exclusive Human Milk-Based Diet is Associated with a Lower Rate of Necrotizing Enterocolitis than a Diet of Human Milk and Bovine Milk-Based Products.” Journal of Pediatrics. 2010;156(4):562-567
iv Cristofalo E, et al., “Randomized Trial of Exclusive Human Milk versus Preterm Formula Diets in Extremely Premature Infants.” Journal of Pediatrics. 2013;163(6):1592-1595
v Hair A, et al., “Randomized Trial of Human Milk Cream as a Supplement to Standard Fortification of an Exclusive Human Milk-Based Diet in Infants 750-1250g Birth Weight.” Journal of Pediatrics. 2014;165(5):915-920
vi Abrams S, et al., “Greater Mortality and Morbidity in Extremely Preterm Infants Fed a Diet Containing Cow Milk Protein Products.” Breastfeeding Medicine. 2014;9(6):281-285
vii Ganapathy V, et al., “Long Term Healthcare Costs of Infants Who Survived Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study Among Infants Enrolled in Texas Medicaid.” BMC Pediatrics. 2013;13:127
viii American Academy of Pediatrics, “Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk.” Pediatrics. 2012;129:e827