Greater and Earlier Exposure of Mother's Own Milk Compared to Donor Human Milk Moderates Risk and Severity of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common complication of preterm very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Mother's own milk (MOM) may mitigate the severity of BPD. Pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) is often used as an alternative when MOM is unavailable with limited information on the influence of PDHM on BPD risk and severity. Objective: To compare the influence of MOM to PDHM on risk and severity of BPD in preterm VLBW infants. Design/Methods: A retrospective chart review of preterm (<34 weeks) and VLBW (<1,500 g) infants born at the Children's Hospital of Richmond from 2019 to 2021 was performed. The analysis included demographics, type and timing of nutrition received (MOM, PDHM, Formula), and incidence/severity of BPD based on National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) definition. Data analysis used chi-square, linear regression, and a multinomial logistic regression test. Results: A total of 200 infants met inclusion criteria, of which 116 (58%) had no BPD, 34 (17%) had mild BPD, 32 (16%) had moderate BPD, and 18 (9%) had severe BPD. Infants exposed to MOM within the first 3 days and within the first 7 days of life had lower incidence of moderate to severe BPD when compared to those with no MOM exposure (p = 0.02, p = 0.04). The percent of MOM received throughout hospitalization moderated the incidence of BPD (p = 0.01, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [-0.14, -0.02]), such that as the percent of MOM received increased, the effect of gestational age on severity of BPD decreased. In contrast, the percent of PDHM received throughout hospitalization did not moderate BPD incidence (p = 0.61, 95% CI [2.28, 3.43]). Conclusion: These results identify that earlier and greater total exposure to MOM, but not PDHM, was associated with decreased moderate to severe BPD in <34-week preterm VLBW infants.