Extremely small preemies -- those weighing less than 2 lbs. 3 oz. at birth -- do better on breast milk than on formula, a new study has determined.

The research is the first to show the benefits of breast milk for who weigh less than 2 pounds, 3 ounces at birth. With the latest medical advances, hospitals are saving more of these babies -- even some who are born more than three months early.

For very small newborns, brain development that normally would occur in the womb during the third trimester of pregnancy must occur in the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital, said study co-author Dr. Betty Vohr of Brown Medical School.

Fatty Acids and Brain Development

Breast milk ingredients, particularly fatty acids, seem to help the brain develop properly, Vohr said. Feeding breast milk to the smallest, sickest babies on the edge of viability could save schools money in special education services later, she added.

Researchers tracked 1,035 extremely low-birthweight infants born at 15 hospitals.

The study appears in the July issue of Pediatrics, released Wednesday. A separate study in the same issue showed that children breast- fed longer than three months were less likely to become bed-wetters later in childhood.

(c) 2006 Daily Breeze. All rights reserved.
(c) 2006 Daily News Central. All rights reserved.