Intranasal Breast Milk Therapy in HIE

Perinatal asphyxia and the resulting hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) are the leading cause of neonatal mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities. Based on our current knowledge, therapeutic hypothermia is the only therapy that has been proven to reduce central nervous system damage in HIE neonates. Improving neurodevelopmental outcomes of newborns with HIE has been an intense area of research over the past decade.

Breast milk is a complex biological substance that contains a variety of bioactive components including neurotrophic growth factors, cytokines, immunoglobulins, and multipotent stem cells. Studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding in the early stages of development has a positive impact on cognitive outcomes. Animal studies support that mesenchymal stem cells and neurotrophic substances found in breast milk, when administered intranasally enter the central nervous system and reduce the extent of neurological damage. In preterm infants, it has been shown that intranasally administered breast milk is safe and well-tolerated.

In this open-label prospective randomized controlled single-center interventional study, the objective is to administer fresh, own-mother's breast milk intranasally to neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy receiving therapeutic hypothermia, starting from the first day of life and continuing for 28 days.

The primary objective is to compare neurodevelopmental outcomes between the control group and the intervention group receiving intranasal breast milk treatment. The secondary objective is to compare the progression of enteral feeding and the duration of exclusive breastfeeding between the intervention and the control group.