Table 3. Comparison of Cost of Fortification With Preterm Formula Powder and HMF.
| Study cohort | Preterm formula fortification, $ | Human milk fortifier fortification, $ |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated cost of fortification for the study cohorta | ||
| Cost of fortification for 1 d for a neonate with fluid intake of 180 mL/kg/d | 0.27 | 4 |
| Estimated costs for the whole cohort | 382 | 8568 |
| Estimated costs for a community health facility for a typical neonate of weight 1.25 kgb | ||
| Cost of fortification for 1 infant for a period of 42 d (average duration of hospital stay) | 11.3 | 168 |
| Cost for fortification for 1 y in a NICU with 10 000 deliveries per year, assuming neonates needing fortification to be 250/y (2.5%) | 2835 | 42 000 |
Abbreviation: HMF, human milk fortifiers.
a
Assuming a uniform feed volume of 180 mL/kg/d throughout the intervention period, ie, the median duration of in-hospital fortification of 24 and 34 days in the PTF and HMF groups, respectively, in the study cohort.
b
Assumptions: average weight of neonate needing fortification is 1.25 kg. Average duration of fortification required is 42 days (7 weeks); proportion of preterm neonates requiring fortification is 2.5%.