The mother of premature baby whose life was saved by a transfusion has called for people to give blood as supplies face "a significant drop".

Caitlyn Stewart's daughter Millie weighed just 1lb 8oz (670g) when she was born three months early in February.

Millie spent 10 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where she received two 23 millilitre blood transfusions.

The first-time mum said three tablespoons of blood helped to save her daughter's life.

Millie had her first blood transfusion at four days old.

"During the pregnancy we had a lot of bad news and were planning a baby funeral the week before she came," Caitlyn told BBC Scotland News.

"So the minute she was born, it was a sigh of relief.

"But on day three we noticed she was quite lethargic and her skin was really pale - almost translucent - so the nurses mentioned she might need a transfusion to help her."

She added: "I had never heard of babies needing blood transfusions so it sounded really scary and daunting - but a family next to us reassured us."

The night after the transfusion Caitlyn, who now lives in Falkirk, said her daughter was "back to being herself".

"Her skin was the clearest change we could see. She looked like a wee cherry tomato, it was red again," she said.

"Her energy lifted and she was able to start on milk - the difference was incredible."

Millie - who is now almost eight months old - received her second transfusion in March.

"It truly saved her life," said Caitlyn.

"If Millie never had access to the transfusion, her body would have started to shut down.

"Her organs were good and she was healthy, but she just didn't have enough blood and her iron levels were dropping."

She thanked the blood donors who gave up their time to help people in a similar position to her daughter.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) is encouraging people to book appointments during the autumn period, when demand is high.

Figures show fewer than 2% of people in Scotland regularly give blood.

The SNBTS says the decline puts pressure on hospitals, which need about 450 donations every day.

There are eight different blood groups and particular demand for O Positive, O Negative, A Positive and B Negative donations.

Blood has a short shelf life of 35 days, meaning regular donations are essential.

Debbie McNaughton from SNBTS said: "Autumn is traditionally a challenging time for the blood supply, with seasonal illnesses, the new academic term and darker evenings meaning fewer donors are coming forward.

"A spike in demand for one or more blood groups, combined with fewer donors coming forward, means we have been in a declining stock position for several months.

"This means it is important donors come forward now, and in the coming weeks."

People can start giving blood from age 17 and are encouraged to donate three times per year.

There are donor centres in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

Appointments can be booked at www.scotblood.co.uk or by calling 0345 90 90 999.