"We hope this study will show how and what to feed preterm babies to prevent this trade-off." "Getting the nutrition right at the outset promises to make a significant difference in the lifelong health and development of preterm babies," Professor Bloomfield said. "It's the first step towards personalised medicine for preterm babies." The clinical trial, the biggest on pre-term nutrition, is the centrepiece of a research programme that received almost $5 million from the Health Research Council last month. They will also look at whether letting preterm babies smell and taste milk before tube-feeds helps them feed normally earlier.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 24, 2016 01:05 UTC