First study to match maternal secretor status for donor human milk for preterm infants

  "Our research could revolutionize how milk banks and neonatal intensive care units provide donor human milk (DHM) to preterm infants."

The study looks at the impact on the infant gut microbiome of matching maternal secretor status for donor milk for preterm infants.

"This study will evaluate the impact of matching donor human milk to the maternal secretor status of very early preterm infants (<32 weeks gestation) on the gut microbiome. Half of enrolled infants will receive donor human milk which is matched their mother's secretor status and half will receive standard (unmatched) donor human milk, which is standard care in the neonatal intensive care unit."

As discussed in our Breast Milk and the Infant Microbiome course featuring Dr Meghan Azad (who is overseeing this study), maternal secretor status is really important as it influences the composition of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in breast milk.

Link to study: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04130165

Link to our Breast Milk and the Infant Microbiome course (approved for 17 HOURS CPD / CE / CNEs and 17 L-CERPs): https://microbirth.teachable.com/p/breastmilk1