Protein supplementation of human milk for promoting growth in preterm infants.

Study answer

What this study found

Protein supplementation of human milk improved short-term growth in relatively well preterm infants. Pooled effects favored supplementation for weight gain (MD 3.64 g/kg/day, 95% CI 2.43 to 4.85), linear growth (MD 0.28 cm/week, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.38), and head growth (MD 0.14 cm/week, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.23). Blood urea was higher with supplementation (MD 1.02 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.21) but remained within the normal range. Evidence for serum albumin and feeding intolerance was imprecise, and there were no data on long-term growth or neurodevelopmental outcomes; one trial reported feeding…

Study & population

Systematic review of controlled trials in hospitalized preterm infants, including very low birth weight infants.

Intervention

Protein was added to human milk for preterm infants in several forms, including lyophilized human milk protein at approximately 1.5 g/kg/day or 0.8 to 1.0 g per 100 mL milk, and casein hydrolysate at 1 g per 100 mL milk.

Key limitation

The evidence base was small, with only a few short trials and small active-arm sample sizes.

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Original abstract