Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Among Infants Born Preterm Fed With Mother's Own Milk: A Comparison of Singletons and Twins

Abstract

Objective: To examine associations between early exposure to mother's own milk (MOM) and neurodevelopmental outcomes among preterm infants, and to compare these associations between singletons and twins.

Study design: Retrospective cohort study that included low-risk infants born at <32 weeks gestational age. Nutrition was documented over a 3-day period at mean ages of 14 and 28 days of life; an average of the 3 days was calculated. The Griffiths Mental Development Scales (GMDS) were administered at 12 months corrected age.

Results: Preterm infants (n = 131) with median gestational age of 30.6 weeks were included; 56 (42.7%) were singletons. On days 14 and 28 of life, 80.9% and 77.1% were exposed to MOM, respectively. Exposure rate was comparable, but MOM intake (mL/kg/day) was higher among singletons than among twins (P < .05). At both time points, MOM-exposed infants scored higher on personal-social, hearing-language, and total GMDS assessments than nonexposed infants. These differences were significant for the entire cohort and for twins (P < .05). MOM intake correlated with total GMDS score for both singletons and twins. Any exposure to MOM was associated with additional 6-7 points on total GMDS score or 2-3 additional points for every 50 mL/kg/day of MOM.

Conclusions: The study supports the positive association between early MOM exposure among low-risk preterm infants and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months corrected age. The differential effects of MOM exposure on singletons vs twins need further exploration.

Keywords: Griffith Mental Development Scales; developmental outcomes; human milk; premature infants; retrospective cohort study.