Press Releases
DUARTE, Calif. Nov. 8, 2017 – In honor of Prematurity Awareness Month, Prolacta Bioscience, the pioneer in human milk-based neonatal nutritional products for premature infants, has released new educational resources for parents of extremely premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), on the benefits of human milk fortifier made from 100 percent human milk instead of cow milk.
Prolacta’s new infographic on Human Milk Fortifier (HMF) highlights why the term “Human Milk Fortifier” can be misleading. It is a generic term for any nutritional supplement added to human breast milk to provide preemies with added calories, protein and nutrients. Many mistakenly assume that if a product is labeled “Human Milk Fortifier,” it must be made from human milk. This is not the case. All commercial HMFs are made with cow milk, with the exception of Prolact+ H2MF®, the only HMF made exclusively from 100 percent human milk.
The infographic highlights data showing that, as the amount of cow milk fortifier in a premature infant’s diet increases, so does the incidence of several serious complications, including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a leading cause of death among preterm babies5. For every 10 percent increase in the volume of cow milk consumed by extremely premature infants4:
Prolacta is also releasing a new testimonial video documenting the emotional journey of Cynthia and Ian Lau, both physicians, after the premature birth of their daughter, Lucy. Delivered at 23 weeks gestation in a remote part of Canada, Lucy was flown from Churchill, Manitoba, to the closest NICU two hours away.
In the NICU, Lucy’s care team talked to her parents about fortifying Cynthia’s breast milk with a commonly-used product called “Human Milk Fortifier,” derived from bovine or cow milk protein. “When I started discussing with one of the nurses about her thoughts on this, she mentioned Prolacta’s fortifier made with human milk as an alternative,” Cynthia said. “I was absolutely excited and fascinated that Prolacta offered a concentrated human breast milk product.”
The Lau family advocated for Prolacta’s 100 percent human milk-based fortifier instead of one made with cow milk, and Lucy was given Prolact+ H2MF®. She is now a healthy, active toddler, who loves to eat and is on the right growth trajectory, according to her parents.
“Nutrition is one of the most critical factors in healthy child development, but this is especially true for babies like Lucy, born extremely premature,” said Scott Elster, president and CEO of Prolacta. “We’re proud to support Prematurity Awareness Month by sharing the Laus’ story and offering resources to help educate parents about the health benefits of human milk fortifier made with 100 percent human milk.”
When used as part of an exclusive human milk diet(EHMD)1, Prolacta’s neonatal nutritional products are clinically proven to improve health outcomes 2,3,4 and reduce hospital costs 5,6 for critically ill, extremely premature infants weighing between 500-1,250g (1 lb 1 oz to 2 lbs 12 oz) at birth, in the NICU, as compared to cow milk-based fortifier or cow milk-based preterm formula.
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 donor breast milk and operates the first and only pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing facility for the processing of human breast milk.