Prolacta’s Human Milk-based Nutrition Has Impacted the Lives of 100,000 Premature and Critically Ill Babies Worldwide

DUARTE, California. , November 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Prolacta BiosciencesThe world's leading hospital supplier of 100% breast milk nutritional products for critically ill, premature infants proudly commemorates Prematurity Awareness Month 2023 by announcing a major milestone: the lives of more than 100,000 premature and critically ill infants have been impacted by Prolacta's Exclusive Human Milk Diet (EHMD) in hospitals worldwide. ¹

"Prematurity Awareness Month is an important time to raise awareness of the challenges and triumphs faced by premature and critically ill babies, as well as their families," said Melinda Elliott, MD, chief physician of Prolacta and practicing neonatologist. "We are proud that for more than two decades, Prolacta's 100% human milk-based nutritional products have been supporting hospitals at the forefront of progressive care to help so many vulnerable babies in need."

One of 100,000 lives impacted by Prolacta's human milk-based nutrition
Back in 2013, Delvin and Brandi Peeks by Virginia experienced an emotional NICU journey after the birth of their daughter, Leah Michellewho was born at 23 weeks and weighed just 1 lb 8 oz.

Leah Michelle experienced intolerance to the cow's milk-based fortifier she initially received and subsequently developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the most common and serious intestinal disease in premature infants and one of the leading causes of premature death.

The Peeks advocated it Leah Michelle to be on an EHMD and asked the hospital to fortify Brandi's breast milk with a Prolacta booster. Today, Leah Michelle is an affluent 9-year-old who is considered everyone's best friend at school and who enjoys playing the clarinet, acting and singing. She is also on a competitive swim team and won her first race last summer.

Improving newborn nutrition: clinical benefits and cost savings
Prolacta's breast milk enhancers have been available since 2006 and have transformed the standard of care in hospitals around the world by offering a proven alternative to cow's milk enhancers. ^2-4

Hospitals of all types have seen the benefits of an EHMD to treat the critically ill, premature infants in their care, including those serving underserved populations. Recognizing that rates of preterm birth are highest among people of color and that preterm birth is the leading cause of death among Black infants, ⁵ hospitals are working to bridge healthcare disparities by making Prolacta's EHMD more accessible to underprivileged families.

An example is the Los Angeles General Medical Center (formerly LAC+USC Medical Center), one of the largest public hospitals in the US. This safety net hospital implemented Prolacta's EHMD and witnessed less NEC, less bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), fewer cases of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and shorter length of stay among preterm infants, while achieving a net savings of $2.7 million over a period of two years. ⁶

"We have shown a substantial reduction in mortality and long-term morbidity, which particularly benefits high-risk children, including children born to mothers with significant social risk, lower socio-economic status and a lack of access to prenatal care," he says. Dr. Rangasamy Ramanathan professor of pediatrics and section chief of the Division of Neonatal Medicine at Los Angeles General Medical Center.

The clinical benefits and cost savings of an EHMD are reinforced by a recent peer-reviewed report showing that Prolacta's human milk-based enhancers reduced comorbidities in premature infants, while hospitals saved up to $3.4 million annual. ⁷

About Prolacta's human milk-based food products
The naturally occurring bioactive components in breast milk are believed to support infant immunity, development, growth and health. ⁸ Prolacta products have the highest bioactivity in the breast milk industry ⁹ and are clinically proven to significantly boost bioactive proteins and antioxidant activity in breast milk. ¹⁰ The company's own processing guarantees the inactivation of pathogens and the highest level of safety, while retaining as much of the milk's natural bioactivity as possible, compared to other breast milk processing methods. ^9,11,12

"We are incredibly proud that Prolacta's exclusive human milk diet has directly impacted the lives of 100,000 babies around the world. This milestone is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire Prolacta team, who are committed to proving that 100% breast milk nutrition-based nutrition can make a real difference in the health of premature and critically ill babies," he says Scott ElsterCEO of Prolacta.

Visit for more information prolacta.com.

About Prolacta Biosciences
Prolacta Biosciences ^® Inc. is a privately held, global life sciences company dedicated to advancing the science of human milk ^® to improve the health of seriously ill, premature babies. Prolacta's 100% human milk-based nutritional products have been evaluated in more than 20 clinical studies published in peer-reviewed journals. To date, more than 100,000 premature babies worldwide have benefited from Prolacta nutritional products. ¹ Founded in 1999, Prolacta is the world's leading supplier of human milk-based nutritional products for hospital use and is also exploring the therapeutic potential of human milk for a broad spectrum of diseases. Prolacta maintains the industry's strictest quality and safety standards for screening, testing and processing donor breast milk. Prolacta operates the world's first pharmaceutical-grade human milk processing facilities and uses barrel pasteurization and a patented, FDA-reviewed manufacturing process to ensure the inactivation of pathogens while protecting the nutritional composition and bioactivity of its human milk-based products. Prolacta is a global company headquartered in Duarte, Californiaand can be found online at www.prolacta.comon , Instagram, FacebookAnd LinkedIn.

References

1. Data in our file; estimated number of infants fed Prolacta products January 2007 Unpleasant August 2023.
2. Abrams SA, Schanler RJ, Lee ML, Rechtman DJ. Greater mortality and morbidity in extremely premature infants fed a diet containing cow's milk protein products. Breastfeeding Med. 2014;9(6):281-285. doi:10.1089/bfm.2014.0024
3. Cristofalo EA, et al. Randomized trial of exclusive breast milk diets versus preterm bottle feeding in extremely preterm infants. J Pediatrician. 2013;163(6):1592-1595. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.07.011.
4. Sullivan S, Schanler RJ, Kim JH, et al. A diet based exclusively on human milk is associated with a lower rate of necrotizing enterocolitis than a diet containing human milk and bovine milk products. J Pediatrician. 2010;156(4):562-567.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.10.040
5. March of Dimes. Dimes March Report Card 2022. Updated 2022. Access October 17, 2023. https://www.marchofdimes.org/sites/default/files/2022-11/2022-MarchofDimes-ReportCard-UnitedStates.pdf
6. Ramanathan R. Clinical and Financial Benefits of Implementing an Exclusive Human Milk Diet (EHMD) - A County Hospital Experience. Prolacta Biosciences. February 7, 2023. Accessible October 6, 2023. https://page.prolacta.com/clinical-and-financial-benefits
7. Swanson JR, Becker A, Fox J, et al. Implementation of an exclusive breast milk diet for preterm infants: field experience in various NICUs. BMC Pediatrician. 2023;23(1). doi:10.1186/s12887-023-04047-5
8. Gila-Diaz A, Arribas SM, Algara A, Martín-Cabrejas MA, López de Pablo ÁL, Sáenz de Pipaón M, Ramiro-Cortijo D. A review of bioactive factors in human breast milk: a focus on preterm infants. Nutrients. 2019;11(6):1307. doi:10.3390/nu11061307
9. Liang N, Koh J, Kim BJ, Ozturk G, Barile D, Dallas DC. Structural and functional changes of bioactive proteins in donor breast milk treated by barrel pasteurization, retort sterilization, ultra-high temperature sterilization, freeze-thaw, and homogenization. Front nut. 2022;9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.926814
10. Philip RK, Romeih E, Bailie E, et al. Exclusive breast milk diet for extremely preterm infants: a novel fortification strategy that improves the bioactive properties of fresh, frozen and pasteurized milk samples. Breastfeeding Med. April 2023;18(4):279-290. http://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2022.0254
11. Meredith-Dennis L, Xu G, Goonatilleke E, Lebrilla CB, Underwood MA, Smilowitz JT. Composition and variation of human milk macronutrients, immune proteins, and oligosaccharides in human milk from nonprofit and commercial milk banks. J Hum Lact. 2018;34(1):120-129. doi:10.1177/0890334417710635
12. Lima HK, Wagner-Gillespie M, Perrin MT, Fogleman AD. Bacteria and bioactivity in Holder's pasteurized and long-life breast milk products. Current developer Nutr. 2017;1(8):e001438. doi:10.3945/cdn.117.001438

SOURCE Prolacta Bioscience