A collaborative project involving researchers from the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) has received a $2.5 million grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Centres of Research Excellence Scheme. The project aims to enhance breastfeeding and the use of human milk in premature babies.
Despite the known benefits of maternal milk for premature infants, including cognitive development, breastfeeding rates for these babies have remained significantly lower compared to full-term infants for the past two decades. The project seeks to address this issue by investigating why breastfeeding rates are lower among premature infants and developing strategies to improve lactation support for mothers.
Breastfeeding premature babies can be challenging due to difficulties in suckling at birth, high nutrient needs, and early birth affecting maternal milk supply. The project intends to work with families and healthcare providers to design and evaluate lactation support strategies in neonatal units, as well as develop new nutritional interventions that harness the unique components of human milk.
Additionally, the project will explore ways to optimize the use of donor human milk, determining how much donor or maternal milk is needed to provide the best benefits for very preterm babies.
The initiative is crucial as premature babies, born before 37 weeks gestation, often require extended hospital stays and can be at risk of cognitive and motor impairments, behavioral disorders, and chronic health conditions.
The project is expected to commence in October 2023, with all clinics planned to be operational by the end of the year.
The NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence Scheme supports collaborative research initiatives and the translation of research outcomes into policy and practice. In addition to this grant, Professor Alice Rumbold’s team secured an NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies grant of $2.2 million in May for a donor milk study known as the GIFT trial.