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Maternal breast milk feeding and length of treatment in infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome

Journal of Perinatology volume 39, pages 876–882 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study is to assess whether infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), who receive maternal breast milk (BM), have shorter pharmacological treatment durations and lengths of stay compared with formula-fed infants.

Study Design

Retrospective data analysis from Optum Neonatal Database for infants born between 1 January 2010 and 21 November 2016, who received treatment for NAS. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between infants who received any amount of BM and those exclusively formula-fed.

Result

Infants (1738) were analyzed. Median length of pharmacological treatment was significantly lower in infants who received any BM (14 days) compared with “no BM” group (17 days, p = 0.04). Similarly, median length of hospitalization was significantly reduced in “any BM” group (19 days vs. 20 days), which remained significant after adjustment for confounders (p = 0.01). There was no difference in hospital re-admission rates.

Conclusion

Feeding any BM to infants with NAS was associated with both decreased lengths of pharmacological treatment and hospital stay compared with exclusively formula-fed infants.

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Funding

No external funding was secured for this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neonatology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital/Nemours, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Michael T. Favara, David Carola, Jay S. Greenspan & Zubair H. Aghai

  2. Department of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Erik Jensen & Kevin Dysart

  3. Optum, Eden Prairie, MN, USA

    Alison Cook & Linda Genen

Authors
  1. Michael T. Favara
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  2. David Carola
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  3. Erik Jensen
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  4. Alison Cook
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  5. Linda Genen
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  6. Kevin Dysart
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  7. Jay S. Greenspan
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  8. Zubair H. Aghai
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Contributions

MTF conceptualized and designed the study, searched the literature, analyzed the data, drafted the initial manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. DC analyzed the data, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. EJ critically reviewed the data analysis, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. AC extracted and analyzed the data, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. LG extracted and analyzed the data, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. KD critically reviewed the data analysis, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. JG conceptualized and designed the study, critically reviewed the data analysis, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. ZHA conceptualized and designed the study, searched the literature, analyzed the data, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zubair H. Aghai.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Favara, M.T., Carola, D., Jensen, E. et al. Maternal breast milk feeding and length of treatment in infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome. J Perinatol 39, 876–882 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-019-0374-1

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