The Liggins Institute

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

Researchers at the University of Auckland have been awarded $16m for a broad range of health and medical research projects in the 2026 Health Research Council of New Zealand funding round, including Liggins Institute Professor Katie Groom. The funding of $1,440,000 over 48 months will support PROMOAT - the First PLATIPUS Pregnancy Domain.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in tamariki under five, and survivors often face lifelong health challenges. Aotearoa New Zealand researchers, in collaboration with Australian partners, are leading the development of the first-ever perinatal adaptive trial platform - PLATIPUS (Platform for Adaptive Trials in Perinatal Units). PLATIPUS and its first pregnancy trial, PROMOAT, will identify the best antibiotic treatment for māmā/people with preterm rupture of membranes, to improve lifelong outcomes for pēpi, (babies). Adaptive platform trials offer a transformative solution. This innovative design allows multiple research questions to be tested within a single, ongoing structure, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and accelerating translation into practice.

Read more about the University projects funded by the HRC in our news story: 👇 https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/06/11/research-boost-from-health-research-council.html

Want to learn REDCap the practical way? Join our 'Building a Strong Foundation in REDCap' course on 9 July (9:30am–12pm, online).

This hands-on session is perfect for beginners — combining expert instruction with small group practice so you can build forms, explore surveys, use branching logic, and more. It’s a great way to start using REDCap confidently in your research.

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👉 Enrol now: https://shortcourses.auckland.ac.nz/courses/building-a-strong-foundation-in-redcap-july

Ready to make a real impact in neonatal care?

The Liggins Institute is offering a PhD opportunity: ‘Evaluation of routine neonatal zinc supplementation: clinical outcomes, implementation, and cost-effectiveness across New Zealand neonatal units.’ This project examines the real-world impact of introducing routine zinc supplementation for newborns – an exciting chance to influence future neonatal nutrition policy.

Supervised by Dr Luling Lin, you’ll work with rich clinical data to explore outcomes like growth, hospital stay, and cost-effectiveness, alongside a multidisciplinary team of experts. Ideal for students passionate about neonatal health, epidemiology, or health economics.

Take the next step in your research career and contribute to meaningful change in newborn health.

👉 Learn more about this research opportunity: https://bit.ly/4udBuwq

Liggins Institute doctoral candidate Caitlin Woods is researching the recruitment and retention of in Aotearoa. She chatted with Rosetta and Milly from 95bFM Ready Steady Learn about the challenges facing midwives-in-training, including shortages and a lack of diversity. Listen now to find out more! https://bit.ly/3SieAqj

Congratulations to Emerita Professor Caroline Crowther on her appointment as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in the King’s Birthday Honours list. 🙌

This honour reflects Caroline's outstanding contributions to maternal and child health research, and her enduring impact on clinical care and health outcomes for women and babies in New Zealand and internationally. Through her leadership in perinatal and obstetric research, she has helped shape evidence-based practice and improved the lives of countless families.

Professor Crowther’s commitment to excellence, collaboration, and translation of research into real-world impact exemplifies the very best of the Liggins Institute and New Zealand’s research and health sectors. This recognition is truly well deserved.

Reserve your spot at our next free public lecture, ‘Tiny babies, big questions: the high-stakes science of early nutrition’, on Thursday, July 2 at 6 pm. From life-threatening refeeding syndrome to the surprising power of smell and taste – our researchers will take you inside the science reshaping neonatal care.

What happens when babies are born before they’re ready to feed? How do you safely feed a baby that has been undernourished in the womb? And can nutrition in the NICU affect learning years later?

Every year, more than 4500 whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand experience preterm birth. Babies now survive at rates once thought impossible, but scientists are discovering that how babies are fed in the first days after birth may have lifelong consequences.

At this Liggins Institute public lecture, Interim Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Frank Bloomfield, Dr Barbara Cormack and Dr Tanith Alexander will explore surprising new findings about early nutrition, where seemingly small decisions can shape brain development, allergies and lifelong health.

You’ll hear the extraordinary story of refeeding syndrome - a dangerous condition first recognised in starving explorers and victims of siege and imprisonment, in which feeding someone too quickly after severe malnutrition can kill them. Researchers now know that some extremely preterm babies can face the same risk after complications lead to them being undernourished in the womb. Liggins Institute research has helped dramatically reduce this condition in New Zealand hospitals and has changed neonatal practice around the world.

You’ll also discover why something as simple as giving preterm babies the smell and taste of milk before gastric tube feeds may improve language development in two-year-olds, reduce allergies and empower parents to play a direct role in their baby’s care.

Book your tickets now: https://bit.ly/4nSjBln

Research opportunity: Predicting early development in moderate to late preterm babies

Are you passionate about maternal and neonatal health? The Liggins Institute is offering a Masters by Research or PhD project under the supervision of Distinguished Professor Dame Jane Harding, focusing on predicting early development in moderate to late preterm babies.

🔬 Project Focus: Investigating whether changes on brain MRI in preterm babies could be early markers of later adverse outcomes like cerebral palsy and developmental delays.

💡 Who should apply? Candidates may be interested in and have experience with MRI, mothers, babies, or young children, including nurses, doctors, midwives, psychologists, physiotherapists, developmental therapists, and MRI technicians.

Scholarships are available for suitably qualified candidates. Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research and shape the future of neonatal health.

🔗 For more details and to apply, visit: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/liggins/study-with-us/study-options/find-a-research-project-1/liggins-research-project-5.html