Preterm birth is a global health challenge. Every year, an estimated 15 million babies are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy with regional preterm birth rates ranging from 5% to 18% of all live births1.
Depending on how early they are born, premature infants are likely to have under-developed organs, including the lungs, brain and gastrointestinal system. Despite the greatly improved survival rate and overall outcome for preterm infants in recent years, there is still a high risk of short and long-term health consequences – including poor growth and less than optimal neurodevelopment2.
The right nutrition at the right time
Preterm infants have higher nutritional needs than full-term infants due to their rapid growth and low nutrient stores3,4. Human milk is the preferred source of nutrition for all infants, but it does not always provide most preterm infants with sufficient protein and minerals3. Insufficient nutrient intake puts the infant at risk of impaired growth and neurodevelopment. For this reason, human milk fortification is recommended for very preterm infants. Alternatively, if human milk is not available, a specially designed preterm formula is used to meet the preterm infant’s nutrient requirements3,4.
Hydrolysates and MFGM for preterm nutrition
At Arla Foods Ingredients, our ingredients for preterm infant formula include milk protein hydrolysates and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM).
Because the preterm gastrointestinal system is functionally and morphologically immature, its digestive and absorptive capabilities are limited, leading to reduced nutrient uptake and feeding problems5. In two clinical studies, feeding hydrolysed protein formulas were found to improve feeding tolerance and accelerate gastrointestinal transit time in preterm infants6,7.
In full-term infants, components of MFGM have been associated with immune and brain function 8,9. Since preterm infants have a higher risk of severe infections and neurocognitive impairments, supplementation with MFGM may potentially be of benefit for this segment3. In a small pilot study, milk formula enriched with the MFGM component sphingomyelin was linked to improved neurobehavioural outcomes in very low birth weight infants10.
References:
1. Preterm birth. Fact sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth
2. Patel RM. 2016. Am J Perinatol. 2016 Feb;33(3):318-28.
3. Embleton ND et al. 2022. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. Feb 1;76(2):248-268
4. Lapillonne A et al. 2019. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. Aug;69(2):259-270.
5. Indrio F et al. 2022. Nutrients. Mar 28;14(7):1405.
6. Mihatsch WA et al. 2001. Acta Paediatr. Feb;90(2):196-8.
7. Mihatsch WA et al. 2002. Pediatrics. Dec;110(6):1199-203.
8. Timby N et al. 2014. Am J Clin Nutr. Apr;99(4):860-8.
9. Brink LR and Lönnerdal B. 2020. J Nutr Biochem. Nov;85:108465.
10. Tanaka K et al. 2013. Brain Dev. 2013 Jan;35(1):45-52.
