This randomized controlled trial looked at whether giving fresh breast milk through the nose could help preterm babies. The study included 40 infants with gestational ages between 28 and 36 weeks. Half received 0.2 mL of breast milk three times daily for three days, while the other half received standard clinical care.
The main finding was that babies in the breast milk group had significantly higher cerebral oxygenation levels. They also had lower respiratory rates at some measurement times. Other measures like oxygen saturation, heart rate, time to full feeding, hospital stay length, and bowel habits showed no significant differences between the two groups.
No serious adverse events were reported, and the procedure was generally well tolerated. Because the study involved only 40 infants, the results are limited. Readers should understand that this early research does not yet provide enough evidence to change standard medical practice or recommend this treatment for other babies.
