ArticleJournal of Korean medical science2026
Beneficial Effects and Factors Associated With Provision of Breast Milk at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Discharge to Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Nationwide Cohort Study in Korea.
Article in Journal of Korean medical science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Association Between Early Breast Milk Feeding Proportion and Discharge Weight z-Score in Preterm Infants.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe incidence of preterm birth in Korea increased from 6.5% in 2013 to 9.7% in 2020. Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, defined as those weighing < 1,500 g, are particularly vulnerable to numerous health risks. Breast milk provision reduces the incidence of complications in this vulnerable population. The objective of this study was to examine the rate and factors associated with breast milk provision at neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge and to investigate its potential effects on growth and developmental outcomes at 18-24 months corrected age (CA).
methodsWe conducted this cohort study using data from over 70 NICUs participating in the Korean Neonatal Network. VLBW infants born between January 2019 and December 2020 at a gestational age of 23
resultsThe rate of breast milk provision at discharge among VLBW infants was 55.9% in 2019 and 56.5% in 2020. Factors that were positively associated with breast milk feeding included higher maternal education level and antenatal steroid use. In contrast, maternal hypertensive disorders, cesarean section, and severe neonatal morbidities (e.g., necrotizing enterocolitis) were correlated with lower breast milk feeding rates at the time of discharge. The provision of breast milk at discharge was not associated with a higher risk of suboptimal growth (below two standard deviations) compared to control infants at 18-24 months of CA. Neurodevelopmental assessments indicated that breast milk was associated with a reduced risk of developmental delay (adjusted odds ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-0.94) at follow-up.
conclusionBreast milk provision to VLBW infants at NICU discharge in Korea was comparable to that in other countries. This nationwide study highlights the critical role of breast milk in promoting the neurodevelopment of VLBW infants. Future efforts should focus on identifying the barriers to breast milk provision to improve health outcomes in vulnerable populations.
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