Presentation Information

Oral Colostrum Care as an Immunological Intervention in the NICU

• Speaker: Mariana Colmenares Castaño , MD, IBCLC
• Presentation Type:
• Duration: 60 Mins
• Credits: 1 CERP, 1 Nursing CEU, 1 CME

Abstract:

Breastmilk must be the food for every human on earth. During the last decades we have been learning much more about the immunoprotective and immunomodulating properties of human milk, specifically colostrum. With advancements in neonatal care, we also have new challenges. As health care professionals it is an ethical responsibility to protect and promote breastfeeding practices for every family. Oral colostrum care is the use of own mother's colostrum in the cheeks and mouth of the baby not for a feeding purpose. It is an opportunity to initiate an immunological intervention in small or sick babies, allowing interaction of immunological properties with the linfoid tissue, promoting and improving microbiome and immune response. The mother and the family can also benefit from this intervention improving and enhancing integral participation and prevalence of breastfeeding in the long term.