Miracle Babies Partners with Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) to improve outcomes for premature and sick newborns.

Miracle Babies Foundation is proud to contribute to vital research projects led by SAHMRI Women and Kids and the Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in Human Milk Nutrition for Preterm Infants. Our lived experience and parent voice play an important role in shaping research and outcomes that positively impact all families affected by premature or sick births.

At the heart of this incredible work is Professor Alice Rumbold, a passionate perinatal epidemiologist and leader of the SAHMRI Women and Kids theme. Her leadership in pregnancy and newborn research is recognised internationally. She is now leading the CRE in Human Milk Nutrition for Preterm Infants - a nationwide research collective working to transform the use of human milk for preterm infants. By working with clinical partners, Alice ensures that the work directly informs pregnancy and neonatal care, and industry partners such as the Australian Redcross Lifeblood, who run the national donor milk bank. 

CRE

The Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in Human Milk Nutrition for Preterm Infants is dedicated to improving human milk feeding for babies born prematurely. By doing so, we aim to reduce the cognitive and physical challenges associated with prematurity and give these infants the strongest possible start in life.

Bringing together a multidisciplinary team of experts from across Australia, the CRE harnesses research to maximise the life-saving potential of human milk. We work closely with families and healthcare providers to understand why breastfeeding rates are lower among premature infants, enhance breastfeeding support after birth, optimise the use of pasteurised donor human milk, and investigate the unique nutritional and bioactive components of human milk.

Donor Milk for Preterm Babies 

Many mums of premature babies struggle to produce enough milk, especially in the first few weeks after birth, and a lot of prem babies face challenges learning to feed directly from the breast. While donor milk is regularly used for very preterm babies, no one has ever studied if later­ preterm infants would also benefit. 

The GIFT trial is a world-first clinical trial that will study more than 2000 babies born four to six weeks prematurely, comparing the relative benefits and costs of giving donor milk instead of formula to moderate-late preterm infants when their own mother's milk is in short supply.

GIFT is partnering with hospitals across Australia to investigate whether providing donor milk instead of formula can reduce the length of hospital stays, accelerate the transition to full breastfeeding, support better growth and development, and changes their need for health services in the first year of life. 

Their results will help determine whether milk banking in Australia should be expanded to make donor milk more widely available for this large group of preterm babies.

If you would like to learn more about this research, please click HERE.