Maternal Milk Feeding improves neurodevelopmental Outcomes in children

A recent study published in the JAMA Network Open aimed to examine the extent to which maternal milk feeding after very preterm birth is associated with cognitive, academic, and behavioral outcomes at school age.

This prospective cohort study assessed 586 infants born at less than 33 weeks gestation who were evaluated at a corrected age of 7 years.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes at 7 years of age were (1) IQ, (2) academic achievement

(3) symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), (4) executive function and (5) behavior.

The study results showed that higher maternal milk intake during the neonatal hospitalization was associated with higher performance IQ, reading scores, and math scores and fewer ADHD symptoms. Longer duration of maternal milk intake was associated with higher reading, spelling and math scores. Most associations were stronger among infants born at lower gestational ages, particularly less than 30 weeks.

In this cohort study of preterm infants, the researchers hence concluded that maternal milk feeding during neonatal hospitalization and after discharge was associated with better school-age performance IQ and academic achievement and with a reduction in ADHD symptoms, particularly among infants born at less than 30 weeks gestation. These findings affirm recommendations to provide maternal milk to hospitalized preterm infants based on potential long-term benefits to neurodevelopment.

Reference: Belfort MB, Knight E, Chandarana S, et al. Associations of Maternal Milk Feeding With Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 7 Years of Age in Former Preterm Infants. JAMA Network Open. 2022;5(7):e2221608. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.21608