Breast milk proven to enhance heart performance in premature babies


Date:
August 30, 2021
Source:
RCSI
Summary:
New research demonstrates the beneficial effect of breast milk
consumption on cardiovascular health and early cardiovascular
development in premature infants.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
New research from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
demonstrates the beneficial effect of breast milk consumption on
cardiovascular health and early cardiovascular development in premature infants.


========================================================================== Published in JAMA Network Open, the study of 80 preterm infants is the
first of its kind to show that preterm infants with higher exposure
their mother's own milk had enhanced cardiac function at age one year,
with values approaching those of healthy full-term infants.

The research was led by Professor Afif EL-Khuffash, Clinical Professor
of Paediatrics at RCSI and Consultant Neonatologist at the Rotunda
Hospital, Dublin, in collaboration with researchers at University of
Oxford; Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto; Northwestern University Feinberg
School of Medicine; Washington University School of Medicine; and,
Harvard Medical School.

Children and adults who are born preterm are at increased risk
of cardiovascular disorders, including ischemic heart disease, heart
failure, systemic and pulmonary hypertension, and are more likely to die
as a result of cardiovascular disease. The hearts of young people born
early are known to have unique traits such as reduced biventricular
volume, shorter length, lower systolic and diastolic function and a disproportionate increase in muscle mass.

This results in impaired heart function, which is significantly lower
than that of healthy infants who are born at term. This dysfunction
is detectable at hospital discharge and persists throughout their
adolescence.

This study shows that exclusive breast milk consumption in the first
months after birth is associated with a normalisation of some of these
traits.

Premature infants exposed to a high proportion of their mother's own
milk during the first few week after delivery had greater left and right
heart function and structure with lower lung pressures and enhanced right
heart response to stress at one year of age compared to preterm infants
who had a higher intake of formula, with all measures approaching those
seen in term-born healthy children.

These findings were apparent before discharge from the hospital and
persisted up to a year of age (the duration of follow up).

Professor EL-Khuffash said: "This study provides the first evidence
of an association between early postnatal nutrition in preterm-born
infants and heart function over the first year of age, and adds to the
already known benefits of breast milk for infants born prematurely."
"Preterm infants have abnormal heart function. However, those
who are fed their mother's own milk demonstrate recovery of
their heart function to levels comparable to healthy term born
infants. Preterm infants fed formula do not demonstrate this recovery." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by RCSI. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Afif El-Khuffash, Adam J. Lewandowski, Amish Jain, Aaron Hamvas,
Gautam
K. Singh, Philip T. Levy. Cardiac Performance in the First Year of
Age Among Preterm Infants Fed Maternal Breast Milk. JAMA Network
Open, 2021; 4 (8): e2121206 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.21206 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830140234.htm

--- up 16 weeks, 3 days, 22 hours, 45 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)