Experts and mums agree on need for a national breast milk bank

A NATIONAL breast-milk bank, which SA mums could access, should be set up and operated by a body such as the Red Cross, says a leading paediatrician.

Renee Goreham and Ella

A NATIONAL breast-milk bank, which SA mums could access, should be set up and operated by a body such as the Red Cross, says a leading paediatrician.

Flinders Medical Centre neonatal medicine director Associate Professor Peter Marshall said a national bank was needed to help women who were unable to provide the nutrient-rich breast milk to their babies.

There are four breast-milk banks, which screen and pasteurise the milk, in Australia - in Victoria, NSW, Western Australia and Queensland.

SA mothers often stored and shared milk in unofficial arrangements, Australian Breastfeeding Association SA spokeswoman Tracey Kelly said, which could pose potential health problems.

Prof Marshall said a national bank, rather than a state-based version, was the best way to help SA families.

Breast milk provides antibodies that protect babies against disease and is especially important for premature children.

"A milk bank would require a high-level of technology that is moderately expensive to manage, and I'm not sure we have the critical mass to manage it here (in SA)," he said.

"Ideally we need a national bank that could supply all hospitals in Australia.

"There's no reason why it couldn't be run by a service such as the Red Cross which already collects blood and transports it."

A Red Cross spokesman, however, said it was not something the organisation was considering.

The Women's and Children's Hospital state director of neonatal medicine Dr Andy McPhee said while the idea of a national breast milk bank was "attractive", there "were many hurdles to implementing it".

A Federal Government Department of Health spokeswoman said issues associated with the topic setting up a national breast bank, including cost-effectiveness, would be considered as part of the ongoing Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015.

Seaford mother Renee Goreham gave birth to Ella 19 days ago and supports the proposal for a national breast milk bank.

"Anything that can help other mums is a good idea," she said.