The Brains of Preterm Babies Benefit from Breast Milk

Premature infants who are fed breast milk within their first 28 days of life have better brain development than those without access to breast milk. Investigators followed 180 preterm infants from birth to seven years old and found a link between increased breast milk consumption during NICU hospitalization and larger deep nuclear gray matter volume at full term and better IQs, academic achievements, memory, and motor function by age seven. Lead author Dr. Mandy Brown Belfort adds, “Our data support current recommendations for using mother’s milk to feed preterm babies during their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization.” Brigham and Women’s Hospital, July 2016