Effectiveness of Donor Human Milk Supplementation for the Treatment of Hypoglycemia in the Breastfed Infant

Effectiveness of Donor Human Milk Supplementation Compared to Infant Formula for the Treatment of Hypoglycemia in the Breastfed Infant in the Normal Newborn Nursery

The purpose of this study is to compare if newborn infant hypoglycemia can be improved with bottle supplementation of commercially-sterilized donor human milk compared to standard infant formula. Hypothesis is that supplementation with commercially-sterilized donor human milk will improve hypoglycemia and limit formula use in exclusively breastfed infants.

Enrolled infant participants will receive a maximum of two bottle feeding supplementations (of their designated treatment arm for either 20 calorie-per-ounce commercially-sterilized donor human milk OR 20-calorie-per-ounce standard infant formula) as treatment if they meet hypoglycemia criteria. Infant participants will complete the study if 1) they have received two bottle feeding supplementations for treatment of hypoglycemia, 2) they only received one bottle supplementation and hypoglycemia resolved, 3) if the medical teams deems the infants requires a higher level of care for their hypoglycemia (example: admission to the newborn intensive care unit for intravenous fluids with dextrose).

Mother-infant pairs will be consented for participation via informed written consent.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Mother/infant dyads deliverying at Nebraska Medicine hospital (Omaha, NE, USA).
• Infant in the normal newborn nursery, born greater than or equal to 36 weeks gestational age.
• Infant with blood glucose after delivery of < 40 milligrams/deciliter within the first four hours of life OR blood glucose levels less than 45 milligrams/deciliter after four hours of life
• Deliverying mother plans to exclusively breastfeed.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Infants born and directly admitted to the newborn intensive care unit
• Infants with known congenital abnormality or known inborn error of metabolism that influences growth and metabolic outcomes
• Infants deemed ward of state
• Mothers who do not plan to exclusively breastfeed at time of delivery
• Mothers less than 19 years of age