We read with great interest recent research by Anderson et al.1 on how
NICU respiratory support affects infant feeding, and by Behnke et al.2
on the potential interference of infant feeding with successful
respiratory stabilization of the preterm infant. Since both preclinical
and human studies have established that nutrition plays a key role in
preterm lung growth and development, a crucial aspect of any research
undertaken in the field of neonatal respiratory outcomes should be the
breastfeeding history. It is now becoming well established that human
milk feeding actively contributes in limiting lung injury among
vulnerable neonates.