Oropharyngeal Administration of Colostrum

Infections are the main causes of morbidity and mortality in very low birth weight infants. Use of mother\'s own breast milk in feeding these babies is associated with a decreased risk of acquiring nosocomial infection. This protective effect is assigned to a plurality of immune components in human milk. However, clinical instability of the preterm newborn in the first days of life results in delayed initiation of enteral nutrition. Thus, alternative methods for colostrum administration have been investigated, such as oropharyngeal administration with evidence that would be safe and feasible to perform in children admitted to the NICU in the first hours of life. Objective: To evaluate the immune stimulatory effect of oropharyngeal administration of colostrum in the incidence of sepsis in very low birth weight preterm infants.