RESEARCH from La Trobe University has revealed that pre-term babies fed donor breast milk may miss out on crucial hormones like melatonin, essential for healthy development of infants.
This hormone, known for reducing inflammation and aiding recovery from conditions such as neonatal sepsis, is significantly diminished by the high-temperature pasteurisation process used in Australian donor milk banks to eliminate bacteria and viruses.
Dr Lauren Booker, who led the study at La Trobe's School of Psychology and Public Health, discovered that pasteurisation reduces melatonin levels in breast milk by an average of 23.6%.
Despite this reduction, melatonin remained at levels that could affect an infant's circadian rhythm, potentially impacting sleep cycles and long-term health.
The study highlighted a gap in current policies regarding the collection and use of donor milk, which does not consider the timing of milk expression and its hormonal content.
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