85 - A quality improvement study evaluating the safety and efficacy of Gentle-UHT™ pasteurized human milk as a supplement for very low birth weight infants

Poster Number: 85
Publication Number: 85.236

Rebecca Perry, Department of Pediatrics, University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, United States

Background: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using donor milk to supplement maternal milk for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Donor milk safety and efficacy continues to improve as we aim to match the properties of mother's own milk.  Used for decades to process shelf-stable dairy milk, ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurization is a high-volume processing method that involves heating milk to temperatures exceeding 130°C for a few seconds in a continuous flow thermal process.  By precisely applying heat for a short period of time, Gentle-UHT processing generates a safe human milk product while maintaining nutritional quality.
To date, no studies have evaluated the impact of Gentle-UHT human milk (GHM) on growth and morbidity in infants with a birth weight < 1250 grams.

Objective: We conducted a quality improvement study to assess the safety of an additional donor milk option, Gentle-UHT™ pasteurized human milk.

Design/Methods: We reviewed the records of infants with a birth weight < 1250 g born at the Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada. We collected growth measurements for 39 infants supplemented with Holder-pasteurized human milk and 38 infants supplemented with Gentle-UHT™ pasteurized human milk. Growth measurements were compared using Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests. We also compared rates of surgical necrotizing enterocolitis and late onset sepsis using Fisher exact tests.

Results: There were no significant differences in growth outcomes between infants supplemented with Holder-pasteurized human milk and those supplemented with Gentle-UHT™ pasteurized human milk. Furthermore, rates of surgical necrotizing enterocolitis and late onset sepsis were not significantly different between groups.

Conclusion(s): Gentle-UHT™ pasteurized human milk is an additional and safe donor milk option to support growth in infants with a birth weight < 1250 grams.