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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-09-18 Daily Xml
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Premature Babies

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (15:24): How many babies will benefit from this initiative?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:24): Those details I am happy to take on notice, but it is somewhat unclear because at this stage—in the initial stages, the donations will not be taken from beyond the hospital. I am advised that only inpatients will have an opportunity to donate and this, of course, is a benefit for the mothers themselves. One of the nurses who I was speaking to at the hospital was talking about her conversation with a young mother who herself had a preterm baby, and how excited she was that the donations that she was now able to make would improve the opportunity for a preterm baby.

The fact of the matter is, and I am not a medical practitioner or a scientist, but I was advised that the composition of human breastmilk is almost targeted for preterm babies. My understanding is that, even if it does go to community-based donations, donors won't be able to be more than 12 months from the birth of their child, because of the unique chemistry of the breastmilk. So this is a wonderful opportunity to give women who have the capacity to donate milk to support other young lives. Whether or not their child was a preterm baby or not, I think it is a win-win, and a great opportunity for South Australian preterm babies.

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