Mother’s Milk Bank
Globally, Preterm Birth (PTB) is the single largest cause of neonatal deaths. India, with its highest number of Preterm born and the highest number of preterm deaths worldwide, contributes 25% of the overall global preterm-related deaths.
In India, among the total 27 million babies birth annually, 3.6 million babies are born preterm, and over 300,000 of these preterm babies die each year because of associated complications. Only 65% of babies receive mothers’ milk according to WHO data.
Feeding formula milk instead of mothers’ milk (in situations where mothers are unable to produce enough milk) for the sick neonates in hospitals had been a practice in many healthcare organizations.
Importance of Mother’s Milk
The importance of human milk in preventing many complications (sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis) in preterm, sick babies leading to decreasing the mortality rate and improving the outcome of newborns has led our Hospital to look for alternatives to formula feed.
Feeding the neonates in NICU with pasteurized human donor milk has improved the outcomes of the sick and preterm babies admitted to Hospital.
The feeding of the pasteurized human donor human milk should not be confined only to in-house admitted neonates and should benefit all sick newborns in the city.
Need for Mother’s Milk bank
- Despite substantial efforts to introduce new therapies for prevention, it continues to contribute significantly to neonatal and infant mortality.
- The effects of preterm babies extend beyond the early infancy with substantial long-term consequences in late childhood and adult life
- 25% of preterm death are due to sepsis
- 15% preterm death are due to necrotising enterocolitis
Storage of Collected Donor Milk
Processing and Quality Assurance of Stored Milk
Vijaya Mother’s Milk Bank
- Founded by Smt Bharathi Reddy, Managing Trustee and CEO, Vijaya Group of Hospitals
- Training Programs for staff are done regularly and creating awareness through human milk bank programs and the benefit of choosing human milk as an alternative to formula feeds in newborn babies especially sick and preterm NICU babies.
- In-house teams are identified in NICU and maternity wards as ambassadors to teach the antenatal mothers on the importance of breastfeeding and donating human milk from mothers who have surplus milk production apart from their baby’s needs.
- Setting up of lactation counseling centre with a in-house lactation consultant to ensure the antenatal mothers are educated on the importance of breastfeeding, clarifying doubts on breastfeeding, human milk donation, and the benefits of human donor milk for sick NICU babies.
- Recognizing the donor mothers as a ‘hero’ in making a difference to neonates and encouraging them with award function during breastfeeding week celebration every year.
- Staff working at Vijaya Hospitals became active donors for this milk bank initially but with increasing awareness through the internet and media more mothers donate, as they realized their precious act could save
- Identifying teams/members for home collection of mother’s milk from donors (so that distance/commutation don’t become a detrimental factor for donating breast milk).
For more details Contact:
Vijaya Mother’s Milk Bank, Vijaya Hospital, 434, N.S.K. Salai(Arcot Road), Vadapalani,
Chennai – 600027. Phone: 044- 6664 6664 – Extn 252, 262
email: enquiry@vijayahospital.org
