Randomized controlled trial of oral immunotherapy with colostrum or breast milk and clinical outcomes among preterm babies

Background: It is well known that mother’s milk is the best nutrient for the baby. Some formal studies have investigated its effectiveness and supported it as a safe feasible practice. The effects on other variables are vague since the evidence is not strong to observe significant differences in the outcomes, such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, length of hospital stay, and mortality. The present study was carried out to assess the effect of oral therapy with colostrum or breast milk on the clinical outcomes using a questionnaire on clinical outcomes. Methods: A total of 48 babies were randomly assigned to receive 0.2 ml of their own mother’s colostrum, breast milk, or sterile water via oropharyngeal route every 4 h, and it was continued till the baby independently could suck via bottle or breast. The babies were followed since admission until discharge by the unit. Results: According to the obtained results, there was no statistical difference among the preterm babies who received oral immunotherapy with colostrum, breast milk, and sterile water regarding the clinical outcomes, such as NEC, culture-proven late-onset sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage, retinopathy of prematurity, chronic lung disease, jaundice, and mortality. The oral therapy with colostrum was observed to have a significant influence on age at discharge (P=0.02). Conclusion: Oral therapy with colostrum is an alternative method of providing mothers’ milk for babies who are kept nil per oral. Oral therapy with colostrum or breast milk leads to earlier weeks of discharge.