HM provided a clear protective effect against NEC , with an approximate 4 % reduction in incidence .
HM also provided a possible reduction in LOS , severe ROP and severe NEC .
Particularly for NEC , any volume of HM is better than EPTF , and the higher the dose the greater the protection .
Evidence regarding pasteurisation is inconclusive , but it appears to have no effect on some outcomes .
Improving the intake of mother ’s own milk ( MOM ) and /or donor HM results in small improvements in morbidity in this population
Influence of own mother's milk on bronchopulmonary dysplasia and costs
Background Human milk from the infant 's mother ( own mother 's milk ; OMM ) feedings reduces the risk of several morbidities in very low birthweight ( VLBW ) infants , but limited data exist regarding its impact on bronchopulmonary dysplasia ( BPD ) . Objective To prospect ively study the impact of OMM received in the neonatal intensive care unit ( NICU ) on the risk of BPD and associated costs . Design / methods A 5-year prospect i ve cohort study of the impact of OMM dose on growth , morbidity and NICU costs in VLBW infants .  OMM dose was the proportion of enteral intake that consisted of OMM from birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age ( PMA ) or discharge , whichever occurred first . BPD was defined as the receipt of oxygen and /or positive pressure ventilation at 36 weeks PMA . NICU costs included hospital and physician costs . Results The cohort consisted of 254 VLBW infants with mean birth weight 1027±257 g and gestational age 27.8±2.5 weeks . Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated a 9.5 % reduction in the odds of BPD for every 10 % increase in OMM dose ( OR 0.905 ( 0.824 to 0.995 ) ) . After controlling for demographic and clinical factors , BPD was associated with an increase of US$ 41 929 in NICU costs . Conclusions Increased dose of OMM feedings from birth to 36 weeks PMA was associated with a reduction in the odds of BPD in VLBW infants .  Thus , high-dose OMM feeding may be an inexpensive , effective strategy to help reduce the risk of this costly multifactorial morbidity
HM provided a clear protective effect against NEC , with an approximate 4 % reduction in incidence .
HM also provided a possible reduction in LOS , severe ROP and severe NEC .
Particularly for NEC , any volume of HM is better than EPTF , and the higher the dose the greater the protection .
Evidence regarding pasteurisation is inconclusive , but it appears to have no effect on some outcomes .
Improving the intake of mother ’s own milk ( MOM ) and /or donor HM results in small improvements in morbidity in this population