# Long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial on individualized fortification of human milk

## TL;DR

A study followed preterm infants who received individualized milk fortification and found better early growth but no long-term health differences.

## Contribution

The study provides long-term follow-up data on individualized fortification of human milk for preterm infants.

## Key findings

- Individualized fortification improved head circumference, hemoglobin, and weight z-scores in early childhood.
- No significant long-term differences were observed in lung function, cognitive scores, or metabolic parameters.
- Fifty-one infants completed 2-year follow-up and twenty-five reached 6–10 years of age.

## Abstract

To evaluate short- and long-term outcomes of preterm infants from a previous RCT on individualized fortification (IF).

Preterm infants from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) IF study were enrolled. Data before age 2 were collected from medical records. Long-term follow-up was conducted at ages 6–10 years. Growth and development outcomes as well as biochemical indexes were compared between IF and standard fortification (SF) groups.

Fifty-one infants completed 2-year follow-up. The IF group showed significantly better outcomes in head circumference z-scores at CA 6 months (p = 0.035), hemoglobin at CA 12 months (p = 0.044), and weight z-scores at CA 24 months (p = 0.027). Twenty-five children completed long-term follow-up. No significant differences were found in lung function, cognitive scores, ferritin, hemoglobin, IGF, 25-OH-vitamin D, bone age, or metabolic parameters including BMI and lipid profile.

PUMCH IF improved early growth outcomes, but no significant long-term health differences were observed.