The first nectar: Vijayapura GH set to establish first breast milk bank in North Karnataka.
India has one of the highest rates of premature births globally, with 12 per cent of all deliveries resulting in pre-term babies. Several babies, especially in poorer districts, suffer from malnutrition for want of mothers’ milk. To address the problem, the Vijayapura Government Hospital is set to establish the first breast milk bank in North Karnataka, which will serve over 2,000 newborns annually.
Spearheaded by Dr Santosh Karletti, General Secretary of Sushena Health Foundation, this initiative aims to address the nutritional needs of premature and ill infants, while playing a critical role in reducing neonatal mortality by providing breast milk for vulnerable babies, particularly those whose mothers are unable to feed them due to health or other reasons.
The hospital handles around 10,000 deliveries every year, with 2,000 newborns requiring neonatal intensive care, including around 1,000 premature babies. Dr Karletti informed that breast milk is the best nutritional option for such infants, significantly reducing the risk of infections and lowering mortality by over 20 per cent. Meanwhile, formula or cow’s milk poses health risks for premature babies, making breast milk essential.
First vaccine after birth
Explaining the benefits of breast milk, Dr Karletti says colostrum, produced in the first hour after birth, acts as the newborn’s first vaccine, protecting against diseases such as jaundice. Accordingly, in a bid to ensure the health of newborns, the milk bank will ensure that every baby has access to breast milk, either from their own mother or donor. Donor milk is especially vital for babies, whose mothers are unable to breastfeed them due to illness or other complications.
Meanwhile, Dr Mastiholi, District Surgeon at Vijayapura Government Hospital, notes that around 20 per cent of newborns need donor breast milk due to maternal deaths, abandonment, illness or insufficient milk production. Even convincing 150 mothers out of the 900, who deliver at the hospital, to donate milk, could meet the bank’s initial targets.
The milk bank, part of a larger hub-and-spoke model planned for North Karnataka, will serve as a centre for milk distribution to other districts, such as Bidar and Kalaburagi. Initially, the bank aims to collect 45-50 litres of milk per month, with a goal to reach 100 litres every month by the first year, eventually increasing it to 150 litres.
Taboos galore
While societal taboos about breast milk donation exist, the hospital plans to overcome them through education and counselling. Many mothers produce excess milk, which can lead to complications if not expressed. Lactation counsellors will guide such mothers to donate surplus milk, which would otherwise go waste.
Dr Karletti points out that breast milk donation also has historical precedents in ancient civilisations, including Roman, Egyptian, Greek and Indian societies. The milk bank aims to revive this practice in a modern setting, ensuring the milk is pasteurised and preserved for up to six months.
All donated milk will undergo pasteurisation to preserve vital nutrients and antibodies, ensuring a shelf life of up to six months. The milk will be stored at minus 20 degrees Celsius, and most will be used within 1-2 weeks of pasteurisation to prevent waste. Only healthy mothers can donate milk; those with serious illnesses like cancer or HIV are ineligible. However, mothers with conditions like diabetes or hypertension will still be allowed to donate.
Vijayapura’s milk bank will follow the model of Hyderabad’s Niloufer Hospital, which has the largest mothers’ milk bank in India, collecting up to 300 litres of milk per month. Dr Karletti mentions that one of Niloufer Hospital’s notable donors, an anaesthetist, contributed 50 litres of milk in just two months, while a software engineer donated 28 litres.
Free services, universal access
The services of the milk bank in Vijayapura will be entirely free of cost, including screening, pasteurisation and milk distribution. Unlike blood banks, no fee will be charged from recipients. Dr Mastiholi is confident that this initiative will revolutionise neonatal care in North Karnataka, significantly improving infant survival rates.
The milk bank is set to be established by December at a cost of Rs 2 crore, funded by Sushena Health Foundation. The organisation will operate the unit for two years before handing it over to the District Hospital. Local staff will receive necessary training on its operation and maintenance during this time. Through education, donor participation, and advanced preservation techniques, this novel initiative is expected to save lives and serve as a model for future milk banks across the region.
BENEFITS FOR LIFE
Breast milk is beneficial to the baby, right from birth:
Nutrition
Provides all the nutrients a baby needs for the first six months of life, including fat, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water. It is easily digested
Protection
Provides immunity and protects babies from many illnesses and diseases, including asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Antibodies
Contains antibodies from the mother, which protects the baby
source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)