A Study at UOB Recommends Hospitals to Obtain A Human Milk Analyzer

A Study at UOB
Recommends Hospitals to Obtain A Human Milk Analyzer

9 February 2020

A study conducted at the
University of Bahrain (UOB) advised medical centers for premature babies
(newborns) to acquire a human milk analysis device in order to fortify milk in
accordance with the recommendations of the European Society of Pediatric
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN).

The study was under the title
“The Impact of Human Milk Composition on Growth and Weight Gain in
Premature Babies” and it found that infants who were fed milk with protein
and carbohydrate levels that are recommended by ESPGHAN and a lower-than-average
total fat percentage, led to a better increase in babies’ weight.

Also, the study found that the
protein content in the milk has a significant relation to the type of delivery,
as the percentage of protein in the milk samples of mothers who give birth in a
normal delivery is higher compared to the milk of mothers who give birth
through cesarean section.

The study was conducted by the
researcher and student in the Department of Life Sciences at the College of
Science at UOB Batool Abdulwahab Ahmed as part of the requirements for a
master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, which also found that premature
babies fail to achieve the recommended growth rates, even though the energy
value was higher that the assumed value, which is positively related to the
total amount of fat that the child gets, as the fat percentage is negatively
related to the child’s age and birth weight.

The study analyzed milk samples
from 14 mothers and premature infants at Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain
Defense Force Hospital and King Hamad University Hospital, through which
protein, total fat and total carbohydrates were analyzed, in addition to the
daily measurement of weight and weekly measurement of head circumference and
height for 17 infants (gestational age less than 32 weeks at birth, or birth
weight less than 1500 g), after which, growth rates were calculated.

The discussion committee consisted
of the Associate Professor and the Head of the Pediatrics Department at the
College of Medicine at the Arab Gulf University Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Amin Mohammed
as an external examiner, the Assistant Professor in the Department of Life
Sciences at the College of Science at UOB Dr. Simone Perna as an internal
examiner, and the Associate Professor in the Department of Life Sciences in the
College of Sciences at UOB Prof. Afnan Mahmood Freije as a supervisor.

Sustainable Development Goals

3 Good health and well-being

4 Quality education

17 Partnerships for the goals

Key words

Medical Centers for Premature Babies, Human Milk Analyzer,
ESPGHAN, The Impact of Human Milk Composition on Growth and Weight Gain in
Premature Babies, Protein Content in Milk, Caesarean Section, College of
Science, University of Bahrain