'Liquid gold' breast milk donations reduce life-threatening disease in premature babies by more than a third

Article excerpt

The rate of a life-threatening gut disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) has decreased by 38% in very premature babies who received donated breast milk from Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, according to research published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. The study is the first in Australia to look at the benefits and risks of donated breast milk for very preterm babies born less than 32 weeks.