Human Milk Concentration Device; Point of Care Technology for Feeding Preterm Infants in Intensive Care

Human milk is the best feeding option for preterm infantsHoweverdue to the high nutrient needs of preterm infants in US Neonatal Intensive Care UnitsNICUsthe mother s own milk is most often mixed with bovine milk sourced fortifiers to achieve goal nutrient levelsThe Human Milk ConcentrationHMCdevice concentrates a mother s milk by removing water so that preterm infants can receive adequate nutrients from their own mother s milk and not rely on the current fortifiers which can cause feeding intoleranceThis is an innovation that embodies the NIH mission of improving health care outcomes by providing preterm infants the valuable nutrients only found in mother s milk increasing their chance of survivalThe goal of this research is to understand the technical capabilities of this device in parallel with the clinical requirements required for adoption so that this device can be commercialized as the first product to fortify milk without the loss of key bioactives and nutrients not found in fortifiersIn specific aimwe study these key nutrients by quantifying the levels of concentration when the HMC device is used to concentrate raw mother s milkIt will also be confirmed that no nutrient was destroyed or denatured during the processIn specific aimresearch will be conducted to create an evidence base for practical adoption of HMC device use in NICUsBased on a comprehensive voice of customer research planthe clinical workflow and requirements for the device will be createdThe user protocol will be optimized to create consistency in the nutrient density of concentrated mother s own milkreduce risk of contaminationand prevent inadvertent misuseTogether these studies will create a powerful base for the use of the HMC in the NICU to help preterm infants thrive The Human Milk ConcentrationHMCdevice would allow for the exclusive use of mother s own milk when nourishing vulnerable preterm infants in need of high caloric intakeThe ability to fortify feedings with mother s own milkallowing the transfer of vital nutrients found only in mother s milk to the childcould reduce illness and improve overall long term health benefits for preterm infants