Variations in the Nutritional Content of Human Milk

This education is about:

• Clinical benefits of human milk for preterm infants
• Importance of supporting optimal growth in neonates
• Variability in human milk composition
• Strategies for optimizing human milk fortification for preterm infants.

Why it matters:
In the first few weeks of life, the optimal growth rate for preterm infants is nearly twice that of term infants. To achieve this rapid rate of growth, preterm infants have high energy, protein, and micronutrient requirements. However, variability in human milk composition and inadequate fortification practices often result in suboptimal nutrition intake during these early critical weeks.

• Profile

  Brian K. Stansfield, MD

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  Brian K. Stansfield, MD, is vice chair for research and an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Augusta University in Georgia. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Georgia, followed by a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine and a postdoctoral pediatric research fellowship at Indiana University.

  Dr. Stansfield’s research on early life growth is robust and includes factors affecting human milk composition, human milk fortification, and the effects of prematurity and other neonatal factors on adult diseases. Dr. Stansfield has published more than 100 journal articles, abstracts and book chapters on these and other topics related to neonatology, pediatrics, and biochemistry.

  At Augusta University, Dr. Stansfield’s academic responsibilities encompass curriculum development in neonatal physiology, research study design, and professional development. He serves as a section editor on the editorial board of Pediatric Research, as a reviewer for the Journal of Perinatology and Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, and an ad hoc reviewer for numerous other medical journals.

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  Brian K. Stansfield, MD

  Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research
  Department of Pediatrics
  Member, Vascular Biology Center
  Medical College of Georgia
  Augusta University
  Augusta, Georgia