Exclusive Human Milk Diet Is Associated with Lower Risk of Motor Function Impairment by Three Years of Age

Objectives: To evaluate the association of an exclusive human milk diet (EHMD) with motor function by three years of corrected age among infants born at less than 32 weeks of gestation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study between 2018 and 2021. Infants who received an EHMD for > 75% of days between first day of diet fortification and 33 6/7 weeks postmenstrual age were assigned to the EHMD group. We used inverse propensity sores to balance potential confounders and developed a mixed-effects logistic regression model to assess the association. Results: After adjusting for demographics and morbidities, an EHMD was found to be associated with a reduced risk of motor function impairment, with an odds ratio of 0.74 (95% confidence interval of 0.56–0.98, p-value = 0.033). Conclusions: An EHMD is associated with a decrease in early childhood motor function impairment among infants born at less than 32 weeks of gestation.