Sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis can cause major issues for very low-birth-weight infants, but can be combated when they're fed their own mother's milk. However, if a mother cannot produce sufficient milk, a supplement — formula or donor milk — can be used. A study in JAMA Pediatrics examined the effectiveness of these supplements.
Researchers in Amsterdam conducted a study involving 373 very low-birth-weight infants, 183 of which received donor milk and 190 received formula as a supplement to mother's milk. However, the combined outcome of serious infection, necrotizing enterocolitis and death was not significantly different between the two groups.
"The results of this trial stress the importance of providing premature neonates with raw milk from their own mother," the study concludes.