Figure 1.

Design of the three-phased Precolos pilot study. BC is fed as the supplement (black boxes) when mother’s own milk is insufficient, instead of feeding donor milk (RH and HH) or infant formula (FWCH and SBMCH), according to local guidelines. In phase A, BC was given to three infants consecutively, i.e., each infant was followed until it reached full enteral feeding, and weight gain was 15 g·day⁻¹ before the next infant was included. In phase B, BC was given to seven infants recruited in parallel. Phase C will be a randomized controlled trial (not yet completed). Due to differences in the normal progression of enteral feeding among hospitals, the BC intervention period was up to postnatal day 10 at RH and HH and will be up to postnatal day 14 for FWCH and SBMCH in phase C. BC, bovine colostrum; BW, birth weight; FWCH, Foshan Women’s and Children’s Hospital; GA, gestational age; HH, Hvidovre Hospital; PMA, postmenstrual age; RH, Rigshospitalet; SBMCH, Shenzhen Baoan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital.