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Article: A review of human milk banking and public health policy in Australia.
- Article from:
- Breastfeeding Review
- Article date:
- November 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Australian Breastfeeding Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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'Donor milk saved her life. I don't know what we would have done without it. It was a godsend.'--Mother of two year old Lyla, born with velocardiofacial syndrome (Tully, Lockhart-Borman & Updegrove 2004, p.75)
INTRODUCTION
Breastmilk is the perfect food for human infants. Breastmilk, or human milk, is a living, dynamic substance; its composition changes from the beginning to end of a feed depending on the needs of a baby. It contains complex and vital anti-bacterial, immunological, hormonal and growth factors which promote optimal growth and development, and help protect infants from infection and disease (Binns 2003; Smith 1999). Recent developments in ...