Introduction: Human milk is the feeding of choice for premature newborns; however, alone it does not meet the high protein, mineral, and energy requirements demanded by the accelerated postnatal growth of this age group. The use of fortifiers — particularly in liquid form — has demonstrated improved growth rates and a reduction in neonatal nutrition-related complications.
Objective: To assess the impact of early use of liquid human milk fortifier (LHMF) on somatometry (weight, height, and head circumference) and hospital stay in premature infants with a birth weight below 2,000 g.
Materials and Methods: Observational, retrospective, analytical, and longitudinal study using a nested case-control design within a historical cohort. Forty-four premature neonates (< 36 weeks of gestation, weight < 2,000 g) from Dr. José María Rodríguez General Hospital (HGDJMR) were included. Group 1 (n = 22, born in 2024) received exclusive human milk plus LHMF; Group 2 (n = 22, born in 2022) received exclusive unfortified human milk. Follow-up was conducted over four weeks. Descriptive statistics, Student’s t-test, relative risk, and Pearson correlation were calculated (IBM SPSS v. 30; significance p < 0.05).
Results: At four weeks, Group 1 showed greater weight gain (+276.82 g, p = 0.008), greater height increase (+1.1 cm, p = 0.033), and greater head circumference growth (+0.83 cm, p = 0.017). Z-scores for all three variables were closer to 0 in Group 1. NICU stay was 8.64 days shorter and total hospitalization was 13.5 days shorter in Group 1, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). No cases of necrotizing enterocolitis were recorded in either group.
Conclusions: Early use of LHMF significantly improves somatic growth and reduces hospital stay in premature infants, representing a relevant clinical and economic benefit for neonatal intensive care units.
Keywords : human milk, preterm infant, liquid human milk fortifier, neonatal growth, hospital stay, NICU.
Citation: Perla Karina García-May et.al.,(2026). Early Use of Liquid Human Milk Fortifier in Premature Newborns : Impact on Growth and Hospital Stay. G Women’s Health Car 7(1):1-5.
DOI : https://doi.org/10.47485/2766-5879.1025