Human Milk for Preterm Infants: Health and Economic Value

Providing Consultancy & Research in Health EconomicsProviding Consultancy & Research in Health Economics

James Mahon York Health Economics Consortium

Human milk for preterm infants:Health and economic value


Background and methods

▪ Clinical and economic benefits of human milk in term infants and clinical benefits in pre-terms well established

▪ Economic benefits in pre-terms not known ▪ From the perspective of health economics, what if we treat human milk

in pre-terms the same as a pharmaceutical intervention? What would benefits be if all pre-terms were provided with human milk?

▪ Independent assessment from perspective of Germany and the UK ▪ Take best available data on effectiveness of human milk for specific

health outcomes and explore cost reductions, productivity and QALY gains


Results: Risk reductions


Results: Cost savings


Results: QALY gains


Results: Conclusion

Health & Medicine

Human Milk for Preterm Infants: Health and Economic Value