最新糖心Vlog

More than 2000 pre-term babies will participate in a donor breast milk trial funded as part of a $73 million National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies (CTCS) Grant round.

Associate Professor Alice Rumbold and Associate Professor Amy Keir from The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide and the South 最新糖心Vlogn Institute of Health and Medical Research (SAHMRI) and collaborators will receive over $2.2 million for their donor milk study known as the GIFT Trial.

The researchers will compare the health and economic impacts of using pasteurised donor human milk (donor milk) versus infant formula as a source of nutrition for babies born between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.

The project team will partner with 最新糖心Vlogn Red Cross Lifeblood to conduct a randomised controlled trial at five sites in three states.

The randomised trial involving over 2,100 babies born moderate to late preterm aims to determine whether the use of donor milk instead of infant formula as a supplement to maternal breast milk reduces the time spent in hospital after birth. If donor milk does help babies get home sooner, and with fewer feeding-related complications, it would benefit the infants, their families and the health system.

CTCS grants support high-quality clinical trials and cohort studies that address important gaps in knowledge, leading to relevant and implementable findings for the benefit of human health.

Quotes attributable to Associate Professor Alice Rumbold, The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide and SAHMRI听

听鈥淭his grant builds on several years of pilot research by SAHMRI in collaboration with 最新糖心Vlogn Red Cross Lifeblood and maternity hospitals in South 最新糖心Vlog and Queensland.

鈥淲e are delighted to receive funding to undertake a large randomised trial involving over 2,100 babies born moderate to late preterm.

鈥淭his will provide crucial evidence to determine whether use of donor milk, as a supplement to maternal breast milk, reduces time spent in hospital, feeding difficulties and feeding-related complications, which are common in these vulnerable babies. 听

鈥淐urrently, babies who are born very early (before 32 weeks of pregnancy) are given pasteurised donor human milk (donor milk) when their own mother鈥檚 milk is not available or in short supply.

鈥淲hether donor milk is beneficial for babies born just a few weeks early is unclear, as very little research has been undertaken with these babies.

鈥淲e will conduct a trial to determine whether use of donor milk as a supplement to maternal breast milk improves health outcomes for babies born 4 to 6 weeks early and helps to reduce the time they spend in hospital after birth.

鈥淐omplications due to poor feeding are the major cause of health burden and costs in babies born moderate to late preterm (32 to 36 weeks of pregnancy).

鈥淭he goal of our research is to establish whether use of supplemental donor milk reduces the need for prolonged hospitalisation after birth and reduces feeding-related complications in these babies.

鈥淯ltimately, this will determine whether donor milk, which is currently prioritised for babies born very preterm (before 32 weeks of pregnancy), should be made available to all babies born early, when maternal breast milk is not available or in short supply.鈥�

Background information

Babies born 4 to 6 weeks before their due date (moderate to late preterm) often have trouble feeding and most need extra nutrition while breastfeeding is established.

Infant formula is regularly used as additional nutrition for pre-term babies, but it can contribute to complications, including feeding intolerance, increased need for IV fluids, interrupted breastfeeding, effects on weight gain and delayed hospital discharge.

Human milk is easier to digest than formula and protects babies against other serious diseases and infections. It has all the nutrients babies need for their growth and development.

最新糖心Vlogn Red Cross Lifeblood is funded by 最新糖心Vlogn governments to provide life-giving blood, plasma, and transplantation and biological products.

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