Sarah Courtney,Minister for Health
More than 300 pre-term babies at the Royal Hobart Hospital have benefited from donated breast milk to help them grow healthy and strong in the absence of their mother's milk.
The program started in Tasmania four years ago to improve the survival rates of pre-term babies by helping them to grow stronger and healthier with breast milk instead of formula.
Sourced from Brisbane, the pasteurised donor human milk is safe to use with strict donor screening and pre and post pasteurisation testing of milk.
New mothers of premature babies are grateful to have access to the program and for the benefits it brings their baby.
Minister for Health Sarah Courtney said, "This is a great initiative supporting Tasmanian families during what can be a really stressful time.
"I commend the very generous donors around Tasmania, and all our hardworking health staff, for making this wonderful program such a success."
Irene Tiang used donor milk for her baby who was born at 28 weeks.
"It took about two weeks for me to cover all his feeds and I was pleased my very tiny baby could have something safe and appropriate for his premmie tummy until my milk came in," Mrs Tiang said.
Lactation consultant Christina Galloway said: "Being able to set up this program to deliver pasteurised donor human milk to the smallest Tasmanians has been a huge achievement."
