TY - JOUR
T1 - Breast milk feeding, brain development, and neurocognitive outcomes
T2 - A 7-year longitudinal study in infants born at less than 30 weeks' gestation
AU - Belfort, Mandy B.
AU - Anderson, Peter J.
AU - Nowak, Victoria A.
AU - Lee, Katherine J.
AU - Molesworth, Charlotte
AU - Thompson, Deanne K.
AU - Doyle, Lex W.
AU - Inder, Terrie E.
PY - 2016/10
Y1 - 2016/10
N2 - Objectives To determine the associations of breast milk intake after birth with neurological outcomes at term equivalent and 7 years of age in very preterm infants Study design We studied 180 infants born at <30 weeks' gestation or <1250 grams birth weight enrolled in the Victorian Infant Brain Studies cohort from 2001-2003. We calculated the number of days on which infants received >50% of enteral intake as breast milk from 0-28 days of life. Outcomes included brain volumes measured by magnetic resonance imaging at term equivalent and 7 years of age, and cognitive (IQ, reading, mathematics, attention, working memory, language, visual perception) and motor testing at 7 years of age. We adjusted for age, sex, social risk, and neonatal illness in linear regression. Results A greater number of days on which infants received >50% breast milk was associated with greater deep nuclear gray matter volume at term equivalent age (0.15 cc/d; 95% CI, 0.05-0.25); and with better performance at age 7 years of age on IQ (0.5 points/d; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8), mathematics (0.5; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9), working memory (0.5; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9), and motor function (0.1; 95% CI, 0.0-0.2) tests. No differences in regional brain volumes at 7 years of age in relation to breast milk intake were observed. Conclusion Predominant breast milk feeding in the first 28 days of life was associated with a greater deep nuclear gray matter volume at term equivalent age and better IQ, academic achievement, working memory, and motor function at 7 years of age in very preterm infants.
AB - Objectives To determine the associations of breast milk intake after birth with neurological outcomes at term equivalent and 7 years of age in very preterm infants Study design We studied 180 infants born at <30 weeks' gestation or <1250 grams birth weight enrolled in the Victorian Infant Brain Studies cohort from 2001-2003. We calculated the number of days on which infants received >50% of enteral intake as breast milk from 0-28 days of life. Outcomes included brain volumes measured by magnetic resonance imaging at term equivalent and 7 years of age, and cognitive (IQ, reading, mathematics, attention, working memory, language, visual perception) and motor testing at 7 years of age. We adjusted for age, sex, social risk, and neonatal illness in linear regression. Results A greater number of days on which infants received >50% breast milk was associated with greater deep nuclear gray matter volume at term equivalent age (0.15 cc/d; 95% CI, 0.05-0.25); and with better performance at age 7 years of age on IQ (0.5 points/d; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8), mathematics (0.5; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9), working memory (0.5; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9), and motor function (0.1; 95% CI, 0.0-0.2) tests. No differences in regional brain volumes at 7 years of age in relation to breast milk intake were observed. Conclusion Predominant breast milk feeding in the first 28 days of life was associated with a greater deep nuclear gray matter volume at term equivalent age and better IQ, academic achievement, working memory, and motor function at 7 years of age in very preterm infants.
KW - academic achievement
KW - intelligence
KW - magnetic resonance imaging
KW - memory
KW - preterm infant
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84997501464&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.06.045
DO - 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.06.045
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84997501464
VL - 177
SP - 133
EP - 139
JO - The Journal of Pediatrics
JF - The Journal of Pediatrics
SN - 0022-3476
ER -