Breast milk is the best food for babies. In absence of mother’s own milk, donor human milk can be considered to be the next best option to provide nutrition to a new born. The use of donor human milk dates back to the age-old practice of wet nursing which evolved over a period of time with establishment of human milk banks. World’s first human milk bank was established in 1919 at Vienna, Australia whereas India’s first milk was established at Sion hospital in 1989.
Milk banks are centres that collect, screen, process and provide human milk donated by nursing mothers who are not biologically related to the recipient infant.1 As of 2021, India has over 90 milk banks.2
Donor human milk is very similar to mother’s own milk in composition and hence provides neonates the strength and immunity to fight life threatening infections. It promotes better neurocognitive development of the child and protects the baby later in life from developing lifestyle disease like obesity, cardiovascular diseases. Donor human milk can be obtained from milk banks on doctor’s prescription
Milk banks receive breast milk from healthy breastfeeding mothers who provide their excess milk to help take care of babies in need. The milk bank screens all the mothers to make sure they are healthy. In addition to screening and proper medical history of mothers, mothers also undergo blood tests to screen for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Syphilis to be eligible for donation. Mothers are guided on how to take care of hygiene and equipment while pumping and are advised on proper storage of milk.
The donor milk once received at the facility is pasteurised to eliminate any virus or bacteria that may be present. Some nutrients may be compromised in the process, but it retains most of the nutrients which help provide optimal nutrition and promote healthy weight gain. For premature babies, during their first few months of life it can prove to be the ideal source of nutrition as it is also easier to digest by the babies.
Donating their excess milk is also beneficial for the donor mother as it helps them modulate their supply, avoid frequent lumps and engorgement as well as provides extended health benefits of breastfeeding like post pregnancy weight loss, reduced risk of ovarian and breast cancer etc.
I would like to make an appeal to all healthy breastfeeding mothers to come forward for this noble initiative and donate their excess breastmilk for saving lives of fragile and sick infants. There are organizations like Neolacta Lifesciences and SaveBabies that have a support network to help mothers donate milk from the comfort of their homes.
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