Two Decades of Human Milk Nutrition for Premature Infants
As NICU Awareness Month begins, Prolacta Bioscience marks twenty years of providing breastmilk-based fortifiers for infants born weighing under three pounds. Since the 2006 launch of its human milk-derived products, the company has sought to replace traditional cow milk-based fortifiers in neonatal care to improve long-term developmental outcomes.
Extremely premature infants require higher concentrations of protein and calories than full-term babies to replicate the growth typically achieved in the womb. While both cow milk and donor breastmilk fortifiers are currently available in U.S. hospitals, the two categories are often labeled identically. Prolacta distinguishes its offerings as being entirely free from bovine ingredients and corn syrup, focusing on a 100% human milk-based diet.
Recent data suggests that these nutritional choices carry weight well beyond the neonatal unit. A study tracking over 1,000 premature infants through age three found that those fed an exclusive human milk diet experienced fewer motor skill delays than their counterparts fed mixed diets. Further research indicates potential cognitive advantages, including improved attention and learning capabilities, observed between 18 and 22 months.
CEO Scott Elster emphasized that the company’s focus remains on safety and efficacy, noting that more than 125,000 infants have received these products since the company's inception. In a significant international development, Japan granted prescription drug status to the company’s PreemieFort fortifiers late last year, marking a shift in how medical systems classify these nutritional interventions for fragile infants.
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