believe that premature babies do not have a fully developed digestive system that is capable of breaking down the cow ’ s milk formula , which puts the babies at greater risk of developing NEC . Additionally , premature infants have a weakened immune system , which prevents the infant from fighting infection once that infectious process begins to develop . As a result , once NEC develops it is difficult for a premature infant to fight it off .
Despite the developing literature on the biological mechanism for NEC , decades ’ worth of research suggests that preterm babies should not be fed cow ’ s milk-based formulas . Companies like Abbott and Mead have been on notice of the risk of NEC in preterm babies since at least the early 1990s . For example , in 1990 The Lancet published a study finding that preterm babies who were exclusively fed formula were 6 to 10 times more likely to develop NEC than those infants fed breast milk . Further , the study predicted “ exclusive formula feeding could account for an estimated 500 extra cases of necrotizing enterocolitis each year [ and ] about 100 of these infants would die .” Yet still , over 30 years later , companies like Abbott and Mead continue to advertise cow-milk formulas as being safe and viable alternatives for preterm infants .
The evidence linking cow ’ s milk formula and NEC in premature infants has only grown stronger in the last decade . In 2010 , a clinical study found that “ an exclusively human milk diet had significantly lower rates of necrotizing enterocolitis and NEC requiring surgical intervention .” Further , the study predicted that reducing instances of NEC by half would prevent between 1,300 and 1,850 NEC cases per year . Another clinical study conducted in 2014 compared human milk to cow ’ s milk formula from the perspective of impact on mortality and morbidity . The study ultimately found that human milk diets were associated with lower rates of mortality and morbidity . It is also important to note that the human milk diet , as opposed to a cow ’ s milk diet , did not compromise growth in study subjects .
The significance of these studies has likely influenced statements from health authorities . In 2011 , the Surgeon General stated “ for vulnerable premature infants , formula feeding is associated with higher rates of necrotizing enterocolitis .” Similarly in 2012 , the American Academy of Pediatrics , echoed the Surgeon General ’ s warning by stating that “ all preterm infants should be fed either their mother ’ s milk or , if their mother ’ s milk is unavailable , pasteurized human donor milk .”
Yet still , despite these warnings , Abbott and Mead continue to market the cow ’ s milk formula as a formula for premature infants . The cow ’ s milk formulas are peppered with statements such as “ for babies born prematurely ” and premature baby formula that is “ specifically formulated for your preemie ’ s
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