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Course Description
Survival of Very Low Birthweight Infants (VLBW) has been improving remarkably. The tiniest of these babies have high incidences of mortality and morbidity. Long term difficulties, such as developmental delay, severe neurological injury, short gut syndrome, and cerebral palsy remain higher in this population. Assuring good nutrition and growth for these infants is one way to improve outcomes. This discussion of The Exclusive Human Milk Diet (EHMD) will address the benefits of such a diet, both through available literature and personal experience. The EHMD has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality, while supporting good growth in this patient population. Prevention of morbidity and providing good nutrition in the NICU will decrease the cascading issues leading to poor long-term outcome in VLBW infants.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Melinda Elliott is a neonatologist with Mednax Medical Group and Senior Director, Clinical Education and Professional Development for Prolacta Bioscience, Inc. She is also a faculty member at The Herman and Walter Samuelson Children’s Hospital at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, MD. She received her undergraduate degree in biology at Bethany College in Bethany, WV and her M.D. at West Virginia University School of Medicine. Dr. Elliott trained as an intern and resident in pediatrics at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. She was chief resident and instructor in pediatrics before completing her fellowship in Neonatal/ Perinatal Medicine, also at the University of Florida. Her main areas of interest are in breastfeeding practices of very low birthweight infants and has published on the benefits of an exclusive human milk diet.
