Expressed Breast Milk initiative improves outcomes for mothers and premature babies

Thanks to Monash Health’s maternity and neonatal teams, premature babies now have access to their mother’s Expressed Breast Milk (EBM) quicker after birth. 
 
EBM has long been identified as the best form of nutrition for newborns, providing immunological protection and developmental advantages.  
 
“We know that breast milk is really important for vulnerable premature babies, with evidence showing it can significantly decrease the risk of complications and infections,” said Samantha Tyrer, Quality Improvement Nurse at Monash Newborn.  
 
In addition, EBM is linked to decreased length of stay and readmission rates, allowing families to be together at home sooner. 
 
‘The Early Expression Initiative’ has been underway since 2019 and aims to reduce the median time for newborns to receive EBM to 6 hours or less after birth.  
 
The multidisciplinary team collaborating to achieve this goal includes nurses, doctors, dietitians, midwifery and neonatal clinical educators and lactation consultants. The Monash Newborn Consumer Advisory Group were also consulted to ensure any interventions met the needs of parents and carers. 
 
With the introduction of multiple interventions including early expressing kits, the initiative has successfully reduced the median time of providing EBM to newborns to 3.5 hrs, six times faster than when it first began. 
 
By providing this essential element of care to our patients, not only is the risk of life-threatening illnesses reduced, the engagement of parents in the care of premature babies is enhanced. 
 
Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute to this initiative and provide care for our most vulnerable patients.