A study of 56 ill premature babies has found that swabbing the insides of their cheeks with colostrum (first breastmilk) helps both bring down the incidence of hospital-acquired infections and speeds up overall recovery.
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition earlier this year and involved babies with birth weights of less than 1,250 grams and who were born prior to 32 weeks of gestation, said lead author Deepa Hariharan, director, neonatology, Sooriya Hospital. It also had an equal number of controls.
Dr. Hariharan showcased the study at an event conducted by the Indian Foundation for Premature Babies held to mark World Prematurity Day on Friday, where dozens of parents along with their children who were born prematurely had gathered. The event also saw the launch of the book ‘Miracle Babies’ by film director Gautham Menon.
Many of these ill babies have limited or no ability to breastfeed, said Dr. Hariharan. In the study, oral immune therapy was given — the insides of the babies’ cheeks were swabbed with colostrum several times a day. Results revealed that among the swabbed babies, only 4 of 56 acquired bloodstream infections or ventilator-associated pneumonia compared to 9 of the 56 controls, and among the swabbed babies hospital stay was an average 21 days compared to 31 days among the control group.
Premature babies, she said, are admitted to neonatal intensive care units and often subjected to various invasive interventions — this, along with their compromised immune systems makes them vulnerable to hospital acquired infections — a leading cause of mortality in these babies.
