15/06/2026
Drops of milk could help preterm babies thrive
Preterm babies who get to smell milk and taste a drop or two with gastric tube feeding have a better chance of not suffering language and other developmental delays, according to a new study.
It should be so simple: how and what to feed preterm babies. After all, arriving into the world early is hardly a rare occurrence. In New Zealand every year, approximately 5000 babies are born before 37 weeks, of which the majority (4000) are what is known as ‘moderate to late preterm’ - born between 32 and 37 weeks.
That’s an average of 13 a day, ten of which are moderate to late preterm. Internationally, the World Health Organisation estimates the total number of preterm births at 13 million a year.
Often with preterm births, there are problems with nutrition. The babies might be too young to suckle, for example, or there’s a delay before mum’s milk comes in, says neonatologist clinician and researcher Distinguished Professor Dame Jane Harding from the University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute.
“It’s an everyday problem; you have to make a judgement on what is the best option to feed a particular baby at a particular time, but there are many different practices.
“Should this baby be on parenteral nutrition [an intravenous amino acid solution] or do we use intravenous dextrose? Should we use milk supplements [donor breast milk or formula] or should we just wait another day to see if Mum’s milk comes in? Is it helpful to give a baby the smell or taste of milk before they are tube fed?”
A Liggins Institute-led, multi-year randomised study (the DIAMOND Trial) aims to bring some clarity around best practice when it comes to feeding those moderate to late preterm babies.
And some of the most recent results are surprising – and encouraging, Harding says.
Read more: 👉 https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/06/12/drops-of-milk-could-help-preterm-babies-thrive.html
