Victoria's first Breastmilk Bank opens at Mercy for Women's

The Mercy Hospital for Women has officially opened Victoria's first Breastmilk Bank.

The Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank will collect, screen, pasteurise and store donor milk for sick, premature and extremely small babies whose mothers cannot supply sufficient milk.

At the launch Health Minister, David Davis, said the bank was an important initiative that would greatly benefit sick and premature babies and their mothers.

"This is world class work and a further demonstration of why Mercy Hospital for Women and Mercy Health itself have such a reputation for excellence in supporting the health of women and the most vulnerable of people, very small babies," Mr Davis said.

"This service will provide an important first start for hundreds of vulnerable Victorian babies each year and give them the best possible start to life."

Dr Gillian Opie, Head of Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank, said from today mothers of very premature babies would have access to pasteurised donor milk, containing human specific proteins and oligosaccharides for protection against infectious diseases and to establish immunity.

"Mercy Hospital for Women each year provides care to some 1200 babies of whom 300 are born very early and small, prior to 32 weeks gestation and less than 1500 grams birth weight," Dr Opie said.

"For these vulnerable babies we prefer to use mothers' own breastmilk but should their mother have insufficient milk, pasteurised donor milk makes a very real difference to their prospects in the first days of their lives."

Further information

To find out more visit the Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank website.