Effect of Breast Milk Feeding on Critically Ill Neonates

Globally, the estimated preterm birth rate is estimated at 10.6% of all live births, or about 14.8 million infants per year. Breastfeeding is associated with a reduction of risk for several acute and chronic diseases in women and their infants, and the benefits are especially important for small, sick and preterm infants. Important benefits of breastmilk provision for premature and fragile infants including a reduction of the risk for late-onset sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) released The Baby friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) for small, sick and preterm newborns. Based on the evidence put forward in this document,this review outlines the main steps that health care professionals and facilities can take to support breastfeeding in vulnerable groups of infants. The objective of this study is to summarize essential steps for healthcare personnel and health care facilities to improve breastfeeding practices in small, sick and preterm infants.