Survey of enteral feeding of preterm infants and the human milk bank in Japan.

Background: In Japan, the first human milk bank (HMB) was established in 2017, which changed the practice of enteral feeding in neonatal care. This study investigated the practice of enteral feeding of preterm infants after the establishment of the HMB in Japan and examined related future issues.

Methods: A survey on enteral feeding and the use of the HMB was conducted in 251 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) from December 2020 to February 2021.