6570 Enteral nutrition of preterm infants on the maltese islands: are we doing it right?

Objectives Preterm infants are a vulnerable and high-risk population. Breast milk nutrition has long been proven protective. Exclusive breast milk nutrition can be challenging in a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). We aim to assess the enteral nutrition provided to preterm newborns on the Maltese Islands and how this compares to enteral nutrition provided to similar populations in other countries. Methods The study is a nationwide cohort study of all babies born and admitted to NPICU at less than 37 weeks gestation, irrespective of survival, at Mater Dei Hospital Malta from July 2021 until December 2021. Data was collected from discharge summaries, handover charts. Milk quantities were collected by staff at NPICU. Microscoft Excel was used for data collection and statistical analysis. Kruskall Wallis test, box plot charts, summary statistics and correlation charts were used. Results 196 babies were admitted to the NPICU between July 2021 and December 2021. Of these 2 (1%) died. 76 (38.8%) newborns matched the inclusion criteria of prematurity. 2 (1%) babies were discharged exclusively breastfeeding and 19 (25%) babies were discharged on some amount of breastmilk supplemented with artificial feeds. 2 babies suffered NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis), both formula fed. Conclusion The Maltese population of neonatal intensive care gradates fares poorly in comparison to similar cohorts in other counties in terms of breast milk uptake. Improved facilities and staff training, such as rooming in spaces, longer visiting hours and dedicated staff to support breastfeeding in mothers with preterm babies are recommended.