Anfeng Lu, Peilu Huang, Xin Guo, Li Zhu, Lei Bi, Ruirui Xing, Zhangbin Yu, Hong Tang, Guosheng Huang
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Abstract
Background: Very preterm infants are highly vulnerable to complications, imposing a significant economic burden on healthcare systems. Human milk has protective effects on these infants, but there is no systematic review on its economic impact.
Objective: We conducted a comprehensive review of studies assessing the economic evaluations of human milk for very preterm infants.
Methods: Our literature search covered PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Two reviewers independently extracted data on economic evaluations and assessed study quality using the Pediatric Quality Appraisal Questionnaire (PQAQ).
Results: Fourteen studies of moderate quality, conducted in the United States, Germany, and Canada, met the inclusion criteria. However, the studies analyzed had notable variations and shortcomings. The majority of these studies (n = 11) performed economic evaluations from a healthcare system perspective, utilizing cost-consequence analysis (n = 6) up to the point of neonatal discharge (n = 11). All human milk interventions indicated cost-effective or cost saving results; only a minority included discounting (n = 2).
Conclusion: This systematic review suggests that economic evaluation of human milk for very preterm infants is an expanding area of research. Human milk for very preterm infants offers substantial economic advantages during neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization. Standardized and high-quality studies are needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of human milk for very preterm infants in the future.
期刊介绍：
Frontiers in Pediatrics (Impact Factor 2.33) publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research broadly across the field, from basic to clinical research that meets ongoing challenges in pediatric patient care and child health. Field Chief Editors Arjan Te Pas at Leiden University and Michael L. Moritz at the Children''s Hospital of Pittsburgh are supported by an outstanding Editorial Board of international experts. This multidisciplinary open-access journal is at the forefront of disseminating and communicating scientific knowledge and impactful discoveries to researchers, academics, clinicians and the public worldwide.
Frontiers in Pediatrics also features Research Topics, Frontiers special theme-focused issues managed by Guest Associate Editors, addressing important areas in pediatrics. In this fashion, Frontiers serves as an outlet to publish the broadest aspects of pediatrics in both basic and clinical research, including high-quality reviews, case reports, editorials and commentaries related to all aspects of pediatrics.
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