Recommendations to promote breast milk feeding and enhance nutritional care for preterm infants in the Asia-Pacific region: highlights from a roundtable discussion of key opinion leaders

Fook-choe Cheah; Tian-lee Tan; Ursula Herulah; Charisma Dilantika; Leilani Muhardi; Girish Deshpande; Rinawati Rohsiswatmo; Satish Saluja; Ruurd Van Elburg

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Recommendations to promote breast milk feeding and enhance nutritional care for preterm infants in the Asia-Pacific region: highlights from a roundtable discussion of key opinion leaders

Author: Fook-Choe Cheah ¹ ; Tian-Lee Tan ¹ ; Ursula Herulah ² ; Charisma Dilantika ³ ; Leilani Muhardi ³ ; Girish Deshpande ⁴ ; Rinawati Rohsiswatmo ⁵ ; Satish Saluja ⁶ ; Ruurd Van Elburg ⁷
Author Information

1. Department of Paediatrics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2. Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, Sydney, Australia
3. Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, Jakarta, Indonesia
4. Nepean Hospital, Sydney, Sydney Medical School Nepean, University of Sydney, Australia
5. Division of Perinatology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
6. Neonatology Department, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
7. Department of Pediatrics, Emma Childrens Hospital Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Publication Type:Other Types
Keywords: Breastfeeding, donor human milk, human milk fortifier, milk kinship, preterm infant
From: Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 2021;27(No.2):201-207
CountryMalaysia
Language:English
Abstract: Introduction: Preterm infants are vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies, thus optimal nutrition is crucial in promoting growth among these infants. However, socio-cultural complexities and limited resources in the Asia-Pacific demands a judicious approach in implementing nutritional care that is pragmatic to align with current evidence-based recommendations. Methods: A roundtable meeting was held in Jakarta in 2017 for key opinion leaders in neonatology from the Asia- Pacific to discuss issues when delivering nutritional care in this region and the unique circumstances encountered. Results: Priority areas discussed include: (i) breast milk feeding, (ii) donor milk bank/sharing, (iii) human milk fortification, and (iv) nutrient-enriched breast milk substitutes. Socio-cultural practices impeding breastfeeding, insufficient maternity leave, the religious issue of milk kinship, and limited availability of specialty nutritional care products were among the most challenging factors. Conclusion: The group proposed recommendations to enhance breastfeeding uptake, accessibility to a complete portfolio of specialty nutritional care products, and encouraging more active collaborations to engage policy makers in addressing these contemporary issues.
Full text:4.2021my0536.pdf