Improving on perfection: Breast milk and breast-milk additives for preterm neonates

Breast milk is the optimal form of nutrition for human newborns, offering a number of physical and psychosocial benefits to both mother and baby. In the case of premature infants, however, breast milk does not provide optimal levels of calcium and nutrients to facilitate growth. For these infants, a variety of additives to address these deficits have been formulated. Breast-milk additives have also been proposed as a way to ameliorate some of the risk factors and problems experienced by very-low-birth-weight infants. The volume and rigor of research addressing these additives and their effects on various components of human milk are variable. This article outlines the benefits and shortcomings of breast-milk feeding for premature neonates and reviews the research supporting various breast-milk additives. A discussion of potential problems related to additives and clinical implications of those problems follows. This article outlines the benefits and shortcomings of breast-milk feeding for premature neonates and reviews the research supporting various breast-milk additives. A discussion of potential problems related to additives and clinical implications of those problems follows.