Impact of Preterm Single Donor Milk on Enteral Feeding in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Human milk is the best source of enteral nutrition for the preterm infant. However during the infants first hours and days of life breastmilk from the own mother is usually not available. Until May 2012 the practice in the Neonatal Division of the Department of Pediatrics /Medical University Vienna was to start with formula feedings within the first 6 hours of life of a premature infant and switch over to breastmilk as soon it was available. In June 2012 the investigators changed this feeding regimen and started to use single donor milk of mothers of preterm infants for the first hours and days of the preterm infants life. In a prospective observational study the investigators evaluated the impact of single donor milk from preterm infants on time to full enteral feedings, gastrointestinal tolerance and NEC incidence in preterm infants with a birthweight below 1500 grams and a gestational below 32 weeks. Data will be compared with a historical control group starting with preterm formula as source of enteral nutrition. The investigators hypothesize that starting enteral nutrition with single donor milk of mothers from preterm infants with shorten time to full enteral feedings.