Oropharyngeal Colostrum Positively Modulates the Inflammatory Response in Preterm Neonates.

Abstract

During the first days of life , premature infants have physiological difficulties swallowing , thereby missing out on the benefits of breastfeeding . The aim of this study is to assess the effects of oropharyngeal mother ’s milk administration in the inflammatory signaling of extremely premature infants . Neonates (n = 100) (<32 week’s gestation and/or <1500 g) were divided into two groups: mother ’s milk group (n = 48), receiving 0.2 mL of oropharyngeal mother ’s milk every 4 h for the first 15 days of life , and a control group (n = 52), not receiving oropharyngeal mother ’s milk . Serum concentrations of interleukin (IL) IL-6 , IL-8 , IL-10 , IL-1ra , tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interferón gamma (IFN-γ) were assessed at 1, 3, 15, and 30 days of postnatal life . Maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected. The rate of common neonatal morbidities in both groups was similar. The mother ’s milk group achieved full enteral feeding earlier, and showed a decrease in Il-6 on days 15 and 30, in IL-8 on day 30, and in TNF-α and INF-γ on day 15, as well as an increase in IL-1ra on days 3 and 15 and in IL-10 on day 30. Oropharyngeal mother ’s milk administration for 15 days decreases the pro-inflammatory state of preterm neonates and provides full enteral nutrition earlier, which could have a positive influence on the development of the immune system and inflammatory response, thereby positively influencing other developmental outcomes.