Spurt in breast milk donations boon to preterm babies

Awareness among new mothers on the donation of breast milk is on the rise, helping many premature babies get a new lease of life. For instance, at the Amaara human milk bank, the first breast milk bank in the state, the number of donations has increased from just five litres a month in 2018 to close to 35 litres a month now.

“We now supply breast milk to 35-40 hospitals across Bengaluru, based on their request. There is definitely an increase in awareness. Many mothers now contact us through social media and are willing to donate,” said Dr Raghuram Mallaiah, neonatologist and founder of Amaara Human Milk Bank.

Showing a similar trend, the Amruthadhare Human Milk Bank at Vani Vilas Hospital, the first government breast milk bank in the state, now has donors from outside, Dr Savitha C, medical superintendent at the hospital, told DH.

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“We have come a long way. Earlier we had to go to wards and counsel mothers with excess breast milk and push them to donate. Now, during counselling, we see that many of them are more aware. Over the past two months, we have also been getting queries from mothers not admitted in the hospital and donating milk,” Dr Savitha said.

As a result of the increase in donations, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Vani Vilas Hospital has gone formula-free since January and all the infants at the NICU are now fed with nutritious breast milk. Within 18 months of beginning operations, the bank has collected close to 234 litres of milk which has helped at least 1,500 infants.

Dr Mallaiah said most women who came to donate were working women and educated mothers. Though there is an increase in awareness, there is a need to counsel women in this regard, opined Dr Ravneet Joshi, paediatrician and a lactation consultant at Manipal Hospital.

“Most of the mothers who volunteer to donate are those who have been counselled during pregnancy or right after delivery. There is an increase in the number of people asking us how they can donate,” she said.