Increasing interest in the utilization of human milk for the feeding of premature infants has been evident in the United States in the past few years and in the Scandinavian countries and several other parts of Europe for a longer time. Because premature infants exhibit even greater limitations of gastrointestinal and digestive functions and of immunologic status than do full-term infants, human milk may offer particular advantages. Such advantages include ready digestibility and absence of foreign proteins; in addition, it is possible that feeding of human milk may protect against enteric infections.
In view of current interest in human milk for feeding premature infants, it seemed desirable to consider the possible associated benefits and risks. Such a consideration was undertaken on December 2 and 3, 1975, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, under the sponsorship of the Office for Maternal and Child Health, Bureau of Community Health Services, Health Service Administration, Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The meeting was attended by individuals believed knowledgeable about one or another area related to possible benefits and risks of feeding fresh or processed human milk by bottle or gavage to premature infants in hospitals. Participants in the workshop included representatives of two com- mittees of the American Academy of Pediatrics, two committees of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, and representatives of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Nursing Association, the Center for Disease Control, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Several representatives of the Office for Maternal and Child Health and of the Division of Clinical Services, Bureau of Community Health Service were also present.
Use of Private and Public Health Facilities for essential Maternal and Child Health Services in Nairobi City informal settlements: Perspectives of Women and Community Health Volunteers
