LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, Nov. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In recognition of Prematurity Awareness Month, CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (CHA HPMC), has announced the introduction of an exclusive human milk-based nutrition protocol for the most vulnerable patients in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This decision gives the most fragile infants, those born extremely premature (30 weeks gestation), access to specialized human milk-based nutrition. Human milk is an essential component of nutrition for premature infants, and evidence supports its use as part of nutritional strategies intended to reduce certain complications associated with prematurity.
As a Baby-Friendly designated hospital, CHA HPMC recognizes that nutrition choices in the NICU are critical to the health and well-being of these infants. The new protocol reflects the hospital’s family-centered approach to care, engaging parents as partners with the care team in making important decisions during their baby’s NICU stay.
“Having cared for premature infants as a NICU Registered Nurse, I understand how critical nutrition is to their growth, development, and long-term well-being,” said Kim Brown Sims, MBA, BSN, RN, PHN, FACHE, NEA-BC, LBBH, RNC-NIC (E) (Chief Nursing Officer, CHA HPMC). “Introducing an exclusive human milk diet reflects our commitment to providing the most vulnerable infants with evidence-based nutritional care while partnering with families to give every baby the strongest possible start.”
Understanding Premature Infant Nutritional Needs
While premature infant nutrition can be critical to an infant’s health, not all parents realize that there are two types of specialized nutritional fortifiers available in the U.S. Some fortifiers are derived from donated human milk, while others are derived from cow’s milk. In the U.S., both are labeled "human milk fortifiers," which can be confusing for families. Understanding the difference matters because the source of the fortifier is part of the nutrition decisions parents and care teams make together. At CHA HPMC NICU, feeding plans are closely monitored and individualized to support growth and development.
Premature babies need more calories, protein, and nutrients than full-term babies to catch up on the growth they didn’t receive in utero. As a result, doctors often add a specialized nutritional "fortifier" to a mother’s breast milk or donor breast milk for the smallest preemies. CHA HPMC recognizes that these fortifiers provide the extra nutrition necessary for healthy growth and development, and it now joins more than 50% of Level III and IV NICUs across the country that have provided human milk-based nutritional fortifiers for their most fragile premature infant population over the past several years.
CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides specialized care for the hospital’s smallest and most vulnerable patients. Its dedicated team supports newborns and their families at every step of their care journey. Building on this commitment to neonatal and maternal care, CHA HPMC is set to open a new state-of-the-art facility in 2027. This expansion will add six NICU beds and additional private rooms for the Mother-Baby Unit, creating a modern, family-centered environment for mothers, babies, and their loved ones.
From the first feeding to the day they go home, CHA HPMC is dedicated to giving its tiniest patients the strongest possible start. The introduction of an exclusive human milk diet and the upcoming expansion of its NICU and Mother-Baby Unit together reflect the hospital’s ongoing commitment to compassionate, high-quality care for growing families throughout Los Angeles.
About CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (CHA HPMC) is a nationally recognized acute care facility that has cared for Hollywood and its surrounding communities since 1924. Today, CHA HPMC offers comprehensive health care services with a 434-bed acute care facility, including 89 skilled nursing beds. The hospital has a medical staff of more than 550 physicians and specialists, representing 69 specialties and 75 different countries. CHA HPMC embraces the area’s diverse, multicultural patient populations by providing all who walk through its doors quality care in a compassionate manner. It is a member of CHA Health Systems, a dynamic global healthcare organization that provides a full spectrum of services in seven countries around the world, including 86 hospitals and clinics, 30 research and 14 education institutions and 31 bio/pharmaceutical/healthcare companies. For more information, visit http://www.hollywoodpresbyterian.com.
Melody Maravilla, MHA CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center 323.913.4521 Melody.maravilla@hpmedcenter.com
