Point-of-care milk concentration device to support preterm growth
Official title: Point of Care maternal milk concentration device optimizing neonatal growth with targeted nutrition support: Establishing clinical evidence of benefit as an alternative to milk sourced fortification
Funded at Mother's Milk Is Best, INC. · NIH-11345878 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small device helps concentrate a mother’s milk at the bedside to give preterm babies more of the healthy nutrients from MOM.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mother's Milk Is Best, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tyngsboro, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,172,764 |
| NIH project number | 5R44HD110306-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11345878 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Premature or very low birth weight infants in NICUs who receive mother’s own milk and are fed with fortified milk.
✕Less likely to help
Infants who cannot tolerate concentrated milk or whose mothers cannot provide sufficient milk may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests a new device that gently concentrates a mother’s milk in the NICU so preterm infants get more of the nutrients and bioactives their growing bodies need. It will be studied across three hospitals to gather evidence on how it affects feeding tolerance, growth, and health outcomes. The goal is to gather solid clinical data to support wider use and eventual commercialization of the device.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could improve growth and health outcomes for preterm babies by enabling more of MOM’s valuable nutrients at the bedside.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary phase II work has shown the device can concentrate MOM; this study aims to establish stronger clinical evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
Mother's Milk Is Best, INC.
Tyngsboro, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nelson, Elizabeth Randall — Mother's Milk Is Best, INC.
- Study coordinator: Nelson, Elizabeth Randall
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.