Clinical Results of the Implementation of a Breast Milk Bank in Premature Infants (Under 37 Weeks) at the Hospital Universitario del Valle 2018–2020

Abstract

Breast milk is widely recognized as the best source of nutrition for both full term and premature babies. We aimed to identify clinical results of the implementation of a breast milk bank for premature infants under 37 weeks in a level III hospital. 722 neonates under 37 weeks, hospitalized in the Neonatal intensive care unit (ICU), who received human breast milk from the institution’s milk bank 57% (n = 412) vs. mixed or artificial 32% (n = 229), at day 7 of life. An exploratory data analysis was carried out. Measures of central tendency and dispersion were used, strength of association of odds ratio (OR) and its confidence intervals (95% confidence interval (CI)). 88.5% had already received human milk before day 7 of life. Those who received human milk, due to their clinical condition, had 4 times a greater chance of being intubated (OR 4.05; 95% CI 1.80–9.11). Starting before day 7 of life decreases the opportunity to develop necrotizing enterocolitis by 82% (adjusted odds ratio (ORa) 0.18; 95% CI 0.03–0.97), intraventricular hemorrhage by 85% (ORa 0.15; 95% CI 0.06–0.45) and sepsis by 77% (ORa 0.23; 95% CI 0.15–0.33). Receiving human milk reduces the probability of complications related to prematurity, evidencing the importance that breast milk banks play in clinical practice.