Gwen and Lisa:

My current research is on milk banking in Australia, both historically and
as regards the women's experience. So far as I know the ones you mentioned
are the only milk banks operating in Australia, and the one at the Gold
Coast has been hampered by lack of funding.  They deserve every support.
Gwen, is the one at the Royal Price Alfred Hospital actually operating at
the moment, in the light of your comments about opposition from NSW Health?
I'd be very interested to know.  If it is, is it purely for in-house use at
this stage, or providing milk elsewhere?

Lisa, a generation or two ago, hospital milk banks in Australia ranged from
formal ones to ad hoc milk "pools", and how the milk was handled varied.
There was a lot of diversity.

Historically, I don't know of any cases in Aust of babies being adversely
affected by pooled donor milk.  As most donors were mothers on the postnatal
wards, their pregnancy blood tests would have been available, along with
medical records.  In some cases, microbiological tests were done on each
milk batch if to be fed raw, while heat treating (e.g. boiling) was done in
other hospitals.  As I said, the handling varied. I'm not sure how well
adverse events were reported, though I recall reading of cases of infant
harm from wrongly mixed artificial feeds or top-ups when NaCl (salt) was
used instead of a sugar.  (Sorry, I can't remember the city or the year.
There were press reports. Does anyone know?) A steriliser exploded in the
nursery of a country hospital in 1966, but with no injuries.

Lisa, there's an article by Ros Lording on milk banks in Breastfeeding
Review and I think she has an article in Essence, too.  If you need
historical information, contact me off list.

Virginia

Dr Virginia Thorley, OAM, PhD, IBCLC, FILCA 
Honorary Research Fellow
School of History, Philosophy, Religion & Classics
The University of Queensland, QLD 4072
Australia
E: [log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Tue, 6 Oct 2009 10:04:03 Gwen Moody wrote, in response to Lisa Clements: 

"Hi Lisa
"There is also one at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
However NSW Health is blocking the development of them so until we can
change there policy, its a challenge
"Gwen

"Hello wise people,
"As a student midwife,  for my final presentation, I am doing a
presentation on milk bansk. So a couple of things. Has there ever been
any incidence of a baby becoming ill from receiving donor human milk.?
"Also for you aussies on lactnet, are the only milk banks in Australia
the ones in Perth, on the Gold Coast, and the soon to be Mercy Milk
Bank?
"That's all for now and thanks again.
 
"From Lisa in Canberra  
"coz the local government here  are building  new Womens and Childrens
Hospital and wouldn't it be great to have a milk bank incorporated in
same."
 

Gwen Moody
CNC Postnatal Care
Westmead Hospital
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome