Awareness among mothers has risen and many are ready to donate milk
Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (IOG) and Government Hospital for Women and Children will soon have a breast milk bank to feed children who cannot be fed by their mothers directly due to various reasons. (Photo: DC/File)
Chennai: The Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (IOG) and Government Hospital for Women and Children will soon have a breast milk bank to feed children who cannot be fed by their mothers directly due to various reasons. The bank is the second one to be started among government hospitals in the state, while the first functions at the Institute of Child Health (ICH).
IOG director, Dr Umashanthi, said, “There was a proposal from the neonatal intensive care unit of the hospital to start the bank, following the success of the first breast milk bank at the ICH.” As it does not require more funds and since there is additional space in the new building, it will be started soon, she added.
About the success of the ICH bank, Prof and head of neonatology, ICH, Dr J. Kumudha, said, “Awareness among new mothers has risen these days, as many are ready to donate milk to the bank.” The bank received milk only from 6-8 mothers when it was started in February 2014. But now, more than 10 lactating mothers donate milk. Doctors at the institute say that they receive between 1,000 ml to 1,500 ml milk from mothers to be fed to children who are in the intensive care units.
Kalaivani (24) of Pulianthope said, “I delivered a boy baby on October 1. Donating excess milk is a good thing, as it benefits another baby.” This will also benefit mothers who suffer from breast engorgement problem, she said.
“Newly delivered mothers who secrete excess milk and lactating mothers coming to the out-patient wing are counselled to donate milk. The milk is then pasteurised, microbiological testing is done and it is stored in the freezer. Milk is collected twice a day between 8 am and 3 pm and the collected amount varies from 100 ml to 200 ml from every mother,” Dr Kumudha added.
Before getting discharged, there are mothers who learn to collect milk in milk storage bags and they still send us milk, she said.
The collected milk is fed to sick children in ventilators. Most of these babies are premature babies who cannot suckle. Some children, who cannot be fed by their sick mothers, also benefit. Apart from these infants, three more children, born at the hospital and abandoned by their mothers, are also fed, Dr Kumudha added.
She said, “The hospital is planning to expand its studies on the quality of milk fed to children after the mother’s milk is tested. Initiatives will be taken to feed children with the same content of nutrients as donated by the mothers.”
( Source : dc )
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