Abstract:
Breast milk is the optimal nutritional source for preterm infants, providing unique bioactive components, immune factors, and growth nutrients that are irreplaceable by formula milk, and is closely associated with reduced incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and other complications in preterm infants, as well as long-term neurodevelopmental benefits. However, clinical breastfeeding of preterm infants faces multiple challenges, including maternal lactation delay, insufficient milk supply, infant feeding intolerance, and difficulty in establishing parent-infant breastfeeding interaction due to premature birth. This presentation systematically reviews the latest evidence on preterm infant breastfeeding, including early lactation initiation strategies (e.g., skin-to-skin contact within 1 hour after birth, regular breast pumping), individualized feeding protocols for preterm infants with different gestational ages and birth weights, and intervention measures for common breastfeeding difficulties. It also shares clinical practice experience in improving breastfeeding rates and duration in preterm infants, combined with data from a tertiary children's hospital. The presentation further discusses the role of a multidisciplinary team (neonatologists, lactation consultants, nurses, and maternal health specialists) in supporting preterm infant breastfeeding, and proposes practical and operable clinical guidelines to provide reference for front-line medical staff. The overall goal is to promote the implementation of evidence-based breastfeeding care for preterm infants, improve their short-term survival rate and long-term developmental outcomes, and advance the standardization of neonatal nutritional care.
