Impact of Enteral Nutrition on Clinical Outcomes in Very Low Birth Weight Infants in the NICU: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Maternal milk feeding in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants mitigates the effects of preterm birth. This single-center retrospective study analyzed data from VLBW infants born between 2005 and 2019 and investigated the impact on morbidity of exposure to Mother's Own Milk (MOM), donor human milk (DHM), preterm formula (PF), during NICU hospitalization. The assessed outcomes included necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and late-onset sepsis (LOS). The study also examined the impact of a human milk-based feeding protocol on these outcomes, adjusting for confounding factors. <b>Methods</b>: Statistical analysis involved correlation tests and odds ratios to assess associations between feeding types and outcomes. <b>Results</b>: Surgical NEC occurred in 10% of infants fed exclusively with PF, 1.3% of those fed with DHM, and was completely absent in infants fed exclusively or partially with MOM. ROP across all stages was observed in 24.3% of cases, with severe ROP at 4.7%, and PF feeding was associated with a higher risk of severe ROP; the incidence of LOS was lower in infants fed human milk (-22%/-66%) compared to 10% in formula-fed infants. BPD affected 25.5% of infants, with moderate-to-severe BPD in 22.2%. The association between NEC, LOS, and feeding was statistically significant, even after adjusting for covariates. The type of milk had a significant impact on the incidence of severe forms of all outcomes (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The rate of exclusive MOM feeding increased over time, reaching 45% in 2018-2019. <b>Conclusions</b>: These findings highlight the role of human milk in preventing NEC and LOS, in reducing the risk of severe ROP and BPD, and in promoting MOM feeding, with rates increasing significantly when DHM is available.