Recommendations to promote breast milk feeding and enhance nutritional care for preterm infants in the Asia-Pacific region: highlights from a roundtable discussion of key opinion leaders

Fook, Fook and Tian, Lee Tan and Herulah, Ursula and Dilantika, Charisma and Muhardi, Leilani and Deshpande, Girish and Rohsiswatmo, Rinawati and Saluja, Satish and Elburg, Ruurd Van (2021) Recommendations to promote breast milk feeding and enhance nutritional care for preterm infants in the Asia-Pacific region: highlights from a roundtable discussion of key opinion leaders. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition (Malaysia), 27. pp. 201-207. ISSN 1394 – 035X

Introduction: Preterm infants are vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies, thus optimal nutrition is crucial in promoting growth among these infants. However, socio-cultural complexities and limited resources in the Asia-Pacific demands a judicious approach in implementing nutritional care that is pragmatic to align with current evidence-based recommendations. Methods: A roundtable meeting was held in Jakarta in 2017 for key opinion leaders in neonatology from the AsiaPacific to discuss issues when delivering nutritional care in this region and the unique circumstances encountered. Results: Priority areas discussed include: (i) breast milk feeding, (ii) donor milk bank/sharing, (iii) human milk fortification, and (iv) nutrient-enriched breast milk substitutes. Socio-cultural practices impeding breastfeeding, insufficient maternity leave, the religious issue of milk kinship, and limited availability of specialty nutritional care products were among the most challenging factors. Conclusion: The group proposed recommendations to enhance breastfeeding uptake, accessibility to a complete portfolio of specialty nutritional care products, and encouraging more active collaborations to engage policy makers in addressing these contemporary issues.

Full text available from: Official URL: https://www.nutriweb.org.my/mjn/publication/27-2/V...

Abstract

Introduction: Preterm infants are vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies, thus optimal nutrition is crucial in promoting growth among these infants. However, socio-cultural complexities and limited resources in the Asia-Pacific demands a judicious approach in implementing nutritional care that is pragmatic to align with current evidence-based recommendations. Methods: A roundtable meeting was held in Jakarta in 2017 for key opinion leaders in neonatology from the AsiaPacific to discuss issues when delivering nutritional care in this region and the unique circumstances encountered. Results: Priority areas discussed include: (i) breast milk feeding, (ii) donor milk bank/sharing, (iii) human milk fortification, and (iv) nutrient-enriched breast milk substitutes. Socio-cultural practices impeding breastfeeding, insufficient maternity leave, the religious issue of milk kinship, and limited availability of specialty nutritional care products were among the most challenging factors. Conclusion: The group proposed recommendations to enhance breastfeeding uptake, accessibility to a complete portfolio of specialty nutritional care products, and encouraging more active collaborations to engage policy makers in addressing these contemporary issues.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	breastfeeding
AGROVOC Term:	human milk
AGROVOC Term:	infant feeding
AGROVOC Term:	meetings
AGROVOC Term:	community organizations
AGROVOC Term:	dietary guidelines
Geographical Term:	Indonesia
Depositing User:	Ms. Azariah Hashim
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2025 08:40
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2025 08:40
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/1701

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