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

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. (J Pediatr 2023;259:113484).

Automated summary

This retrospective cohort study examined the associations between early exposure to mother's own milk (MOM) and neurodevelopmental outcomes among preterm infants, and compared these associations between singletons and twins. The results showed that MOM-exposed infants had better scores in personal-social, hearing-language, and total neurodevelopmental assessments compared to nonexposed infants. However, there were differences in MOM intake between singletons and twins. This study supports the positive association between early MOM exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes in low-risk preterm infants, but the differential effects on singletons versus twins require further exploration.