Specialised milk feeds for term and preterm infants

Good nutrition is important at all stages of life but none more so than during infancy. The aim of this article is to provide a summary of the nutritional qualities of breast milk, breast milk fortifier and the various types of infant formulas and indications for their use. With the exception of preterm formulas, specialist infant formulas are made to meet the nutritional needs of term infants. As such these formulas should be used with caution alongside regular close growth monitoring and routine biochemistry to monitor bone health in preterm infants.

Luise V. Marino¹
RD, PhD
Clinical Academic Paediatric Dietitian,
HEE/NIHR ICA Clinical Lectureship

Freya Pearson²
MBBS, MSc, FRCPCH
Consultant Neonatologist
freya.pearson@uhs.nhs.uk

Mark J. Johnson^2,3
PhD, BM, BSc, FRCPCH
Consultant Neonatologist and Honorary
Senior Clinical Lecturer

¹ Department of Dietetics/SLT, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

²Department of Neonatal Medicine, Princess Anne Hospital, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

³ National Institute for Health Research, Biomedical Research Centre
Southampton, University Hospital
Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and University of Southampton