Human milk, nutrition, growth and breastfeeding (Hummingbird)

Human Milk, Nutrition, Growth, and Breastfeeding Rates at Discharge: The Hummingbird Study

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN57339063

Enrollment

130

Registered

2021-05-04

Start date

2021-05-15

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-03-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Nutrition in preterm infants Pregnancy and Childbirth

Interventions

All mothers in the Neonatal Unit are encouraged and supported to provide as much of their own breast milk (mother's own milk, MOM) as possible. When there is insufficient MOM to meet infants needs, it

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Preterm infants born at less than 33 completed weeks of gestation or less than 1500 g birthweight 2. Admitted to Ward 35 (Neonatal Unit, RVI) in first week of life 3. Written informed consent from parents 4. Maternal intention to provide breastmilk after birth

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Parents unwilling to accept donor human milk 2. Major congenital or life-threatening abnormalities 3. Inability to randomise within 7 days of birth 4. Exposure to formula milk product prior to randomisation

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Breastfeeding (or a mother who is still expressing breastmilk) at 36 completed weeks of gestation or discharge if this is earlier (yes/no) measured using patient records	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Measured using patient records unless otherwise stated: 1. Growth – measured weekly: weight, length, head circumference, MUAC and MTC: absolute changes (g/kg/day and mm/week) and change in standard deviation score 2. Episodes of NEC, sepsis - confirmed and clinically suspected according to existing case definitions 3. Chronic lung disease, Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), intraventricular haemorrhage, Cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) - confirmed using existing case definitions 4. Days of intensive, high and low dependency care; age at discharge, total length of stay 5. Total volume (litres) of milk (MOM, DHM and formula) received from birth to 36 weeks 6. Age at starting a fortifier 7. Type of feeding at discharge (direct breast feeding, tube feeding etc.) 8. Maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy measured using Breastfeeding self-efficacy short form (BSE-SF), Edinburgh Postnatal Depressions Score and thematic analysis of qualitative interviews in a subset of up to 20 mothers between 5-10 days of age and again at 35-36 week of corrected gestation or prior to discharge if sooner	—

Measure

Time frame

Measured using patient records unless otherwise stated: 1. Growth – measured weekly: weight, length, head circumference, MUAC and MTC: absolute changes (g/kg/day and mm/week) and change in standard deviation score 2. Episodes of NEC, sepsis - confirmed and clinically suspected according to existing case definitions 3. Chronic lung disease, Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), intraventricular haemorrhage, Cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) - confirmed using existing case definitions 4. Days of intensive, high and low dependency care; age at discharge, total length of stay 5. Total volume (litres) of milk (MOM, DHM and formula) received from birth to 36 weeks 6. Age at starting a fortifier 7. Type of feeding at discharge (direct breast feeding, tube feeding etc.) 8. Maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy measured using Breastfeeding self-efficacy short form (BSE-SF), Edinburgh Postnatal Depressions Score and thematic analysis of qualitative interviews in a subset of up to 20 mothers between 5-10 days of age and again at 35-36 week of corrected gestation or prior to discharge if sooner

—

Countries

England, United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Mar 14, 2026