Every year, on November 17, World Prematurity Day aims to raise awareness about the issues associated with preterm birth. Support groups organise local events and media campaigns to raise awareness and to inform the public about ways to provide support to family members of preterm babies. This week at Nutricia we join this great initiative!
Born too soon
Each year about 15 million babies are born too soon. Preterm birth is the number one cause of child mortality and morbidity around the world1. In previous decades, survival rates and outcomes of these preterm infants have improved considerably, however a recent meta-analysis showed preterm infants have considerable academic difficulties2. At Nutricia, we are committed to improving the survival of preterm infants and optimising their future health capital.
It is well established that nutrition plays a key role in the immediate neonatal survival, growth and development, but is also a major factor for long-term health outcomes345. Human milk is the best source of nutrition for preterm infants, however is not always available or sufficient. Therefore, human milk may need to be enriched to meet the high nutritional needs of preterm infants. If mothers own milk is not available, donor milk or tailored formula milk closely mimicking the composition and benefits of human milk is recommended6.
Pioneering Nutritional Discoveries
For more than 40 years, we at Danone Research & Innovation have been dedicated to study human milk and its specific benefits for preterm infants. We have been pioneering nutritional discoveries since 1951 with more than 50 years of expertise in preterm nutrition research (dating back to 1958). We have been collaborating with leading experts in the world, resulting in more than 150 peer reviewed publications on the health challenges and specific nutritional needs of preterm born infants, in addition to the translation of our insights from human milk research, to provide optimal health solutions for preterm born infants.
We will continue our efforts to help meet the nutritional needs of all preterm infants to improve survival, support appropriate growth and optimise their future health.