Rational management of the premature infant
Sanabria, E.R.
Maternal and child care in developing countries: 132-142
1989
Document Number: 368880
During a 2-yr period from Sept. 1979, the Maternal and Child Institute in Bogota, Colombia, tried out a new programme under which all premature infants were given their mother's milk (either at the breast or manually expressed) as soon as they were born, and were sent home (provided their clinical condition was satisfactory) after the mother had been instructed on the importance of breast-feeding and other aspects of child care. Among infants with birth wt of 501-1000, 1001-1500 and 1501-2000 g resp., the programme increased survival rates from 0 to 72.3, 27.3 to 89.04 and 81.5 to 97%. This result is attributed primarily to the immune factors in human milk.