Work

Associations of human milk lactoferrin with measures of physical growth in very preterm infants

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine associations of human milk lactoferrin concentrations with growth outcomes in very preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: In 63 infants <32 weeks' gestation, human milk samples on days 14 and 28 were analyzed for lactoferrin using electrochemiluminescence multiplex immunoassay, and values were averaged to generate mean concentrations. Anthropometry and body composition were measured at term-corrected age. Median regression was used to test median differences in outcomes across tertiles of mean human milk lactoferrin levels [lowest (0.06-0.13 mg/mL) vs. middle (0.14-0.22 mg/mL) and highest (>0.22 mg/mL)]. RESULTS: Compared to infants in the lowest tertile of human milk lactoferrin concentration, those in the highest tertile had greater head circumference z-score (β = 0.81 z-scores per mg/mL; 95% CI = 0.2, 1.4). There were no other differences between groups. CONCLUSION: Human milk lactoferrin concentrations were positively associated with head circumference z-scores during hospitalization. Future studies should examine the safety/utility of lactoferrin supplementation to optimize head growth.

Source: Journal of Perinatology

DOI: 10.1038/s41372-025-02447-2