New Study: If breastfed, preterm babies have better oxygen levels, better heart rates and gain more weight. So why aren’t we doing it?
A brand new 2026 randomized control study found…..
Compared to bottle-fed, preterm babies who were BREASTFED for their first oral feed had better oxygen levels, heart rates and gained more weight.
The question is, so why aren’t we doing it? 👇👇👇
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The New 2026 Study:
This was a randomized controlled experimental study with 90 preterm infants.
Half were breastfed by their mothers, and half were bottle-fed in line with clinical routine practice for their first oral feeding in the transition from gastric feeding.
The Results:
For breastfed infants:
👉Increase in oxygen saturation
👉Decrease in heart rate
👉Greater weight gain
👉Higher feeding efficiency rate
For bottle-fed infants:
👉Decrease in oxygen saturation
👉Increase in heart rate
👉Less weight gain
👉Lower feeding efficiency rate
The Conclusion:
“Preterm infants whose oral feeding was initiated by breastfeeding with their mothers showed more favorable physiological responses and better feeding performance compared to those fed with a bottle.”
The study was by Sabaz N et al., J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2026.
My Take Home Message:
We need MORE dedicated 1:1 support to initiate breastfeeding for preterm babies (and full-term babies)
We need MORE funding for that support
We need MORE research into human milk
We need MORE awareness by all health professionals and all parents
What do you think?
So What Can You Do?
You can come to MICROBIOME PLAN 2026, our 2-day LIVE virtual conference happening online 25–26th April, 2026!
We have several presentations on the science of human milk, plus PRACTICAL SKILLS WORKSHOPS on how to support breastfeeding with preterm babies, twins (and multiples), babies born by C-section and more.
This is for you if you are a midwife, NICU nurse, or labor and delivery nurses, childbirtheducator, lactation consultant or other lactation expert
MICROBIOME PLAN 2026
👉 2 day LIVE virtual conference (attend from anywhere)
👉 LIVE 25–26th April, 2026 (and replay access)
👉 20+ World-Class Speakers
👉 Early Bird Pricing
👉 10 CPD HOURS & 10 CERPS
👉 For USD $97
LINK TO FIND OUT MORE >>> https://microbiomeplan.com
25–26 April 2026. | 100% Virtual Conference. Find out more at www.microbiomeplan.com
Science Reference:
Sabaz N, Gözen D, Taştekin A. Effects of breastfeeding and bottle feeding as the initial oral feeding on physiological parameters and feeding performance in preterm infants: A randomized controlled study. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2026 Feb;82(2):592–604. doi: 10.1002/jpn3.70295. Epub 2025 Nov 29. PMID: 41318959. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41318959/
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About me: Toni Harman
I write evidence-based blog-posts about the microbiome, pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding.
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