Crib NotesTM already provides a state of the art Breast Milk Verification process that improves compliance with the correct procedure for breast milk feeding – Verify and then Feed.
Now, with the increase in donor milk usage, Crib NotesTM will provide a method to manage donor breast milk, recognizing that there is a need to document the Lot# and Expiration Date. In addition, there is quite a bit of variation in the nutritional analysis from lot to lot that needs to be taken into account in the daily nutritional analysis. We provide a very streamlined process for the nursing staff that will minimize their effort, while providing the in-depth nutritional data that the clinicians need to better understand what's being given to the baby and what might be appropriate additives. Crib NotesTM plans to support nutritional analysis on a feed-by-feed basis. Given the reduction in prices for milk analyzers we anticipate this will become the standard of practice.
Babies may receive a commercially manufactured formula (e.g. Enfamil, Similac) or human breast milk. Manufactured formulas have a consistent composition which does not vary lot to lot, month to month, or year to year. Human breast milk is highly variable, and the composition changes during the feeding, and from feeding to feeding. Traditionally, Crib NotesTM used an average nutritional analysis of breast milk and until recently, there has been no practical way to determine the composition of the milk at the bedside in real time.
In the near future, Crib NotesTM will use the actual nutritional values collected from the milk analysis. When looking at the daily nutritional analysis in Crib NotesTM based upon enteral and parenteral intake, the details of the daily analysis will reflect the actual values of the breast milk instead of "assumed" or "industry average" values of the donor milk.
With the changes in availablilty of milk analyzers, Crib NotesTM will provide clinicians a detailed nutritional analysis of the donor milk being fed, improving the ability to better manage the overall nutritional needs of the neonate.
