Human Milk
Atkinson et al reported that protein concentrations were 20% greater in expressed milk of women who delivered prematurely (N concentration 312 mg/100 ml), than in milk of those who delivered at term (N concentration 267 mg/100 ml). The authors concluded that preterm milk may be of a composition uniquely suited to optimal growth of premature infants.
Rowe et al reported that nutritional hypophosphatemic rickets developed in a preterm infant fed breast milk for more than five months and stated that the phosphorus content of human milk (11 to 20mg/100ml) is inadequate to the needs (phosphorus 60 to 75 mg/kg/day) of a premature infant.
Current interest in feeding human breast milk to small premature infants is based in part on the possibility that such feeding may protect against infection or necrotizing enterocolitis.
