WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — It's vital that newborn babies receive the proper amount of macronutrients in order to develop properly.
A brand new device is helping in that cause, ensuring babies are getting the proper nutrients they need from their mother's breast milk.
“By helping moms provide milk that contains the specific levels of macronutrients that their babies need, we can give our smallest patients a better chance at a healthy development,” said Cherrie Welch, M.D., professor of pediatrics at Brenner Children’s and medical director of the NICU.
The device is called the Miris Human Milk Analyzer and Brenner Children's NICU is the very first in the Nation to use the FDA approved analyzer!
The analyzer helps the medical team to collect and research breast milk from moms so they can supplement the milk as needed to meet the babies nutritional needs.
“The composition of breast milk naturally varies throughout the day, from day to day for individual moms and is also different between moms. Infants born prematurely and those in critical care due to congenital or acquired health conditions may have additional needs beyond what their mother’s milk is able to provide,” said Welch.
“NICU providers across the country have previously had to estimate the levels of the macronutrients in breast milk, but now, we’re able to take a targeted approach to ensure that we’re meeting the specific needs of each baby we care for.”
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