The effect of oral colostrum care on very low birth weight infants

To characterize the effects of early oral colostrum care on the microbiome profile, feeding tolerance, and rate of infection in VLBW infants. We hypothesize that compared with infants not receiving oral colostrum care, those receiving oral colostrum care will have higher diversity of microbiota and more commensal organisms, better feeding tolerance and time to full feedings, and reduced documented infection and clinical signs of infection. Importance: Premature infants with birth weight less than 1500 grams are considered very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and are a vulnerable population that comprises 1.4% of all live births in the US. (National Vital Statistics Report 2015) Although survival for these infants improves every year with advances in neonatal intensive care, there continues to be significant morbidity relating to infections and prematurity-related complications. Additionally, these infants are at risk for dysbiosis given high rates of de