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It’s no secret that breast milk is a vital part of a baby’s growth. Breast milk boosts a baby’s health and immunity and takes care of a mother’s physical and emotional well-being. It contains abundant nutritional components like antibodies, enzymes, antioxidants, and immunity-building substances that are transmitted to the newborn from the mother’s body. Breast milk also contains natural substances that soothe and comfort the baby. Breastfeeding also enhances mother-baby bonding and improves both the mother and the baby’s health in several ways (1). While breast milk’s magic is well-known to people, it’s not something that every baby has access to. The nourishment that a baby receives through breast milk cannot be compared to formula milk. But some women choose the latter.
Women who choose not to breastfeed do so for various reasons. It is a personal choice for some; others opt for formula milk because of their career demands, health complications, lifestyle, or lack of milk production. It’s the decision of the mother to breastfeed her baby or not. However, if she wants to breastfeed but cannot due to health complications, low milk supply, or any other issue, donor milk could be a lifesaver.
Breast milk taken from another mother and pasteurized and stored in milk banks is a great alternative for a newborn. It is not an alien concept for mothers who have trouble with breastfeeding, and they usually source the milk from hospitals. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) maintains a record of the milk banks available in and around the area and sources the milk for you when you need it. For those women who wish to breastfeed their baby but cannot due to whatever reason, these donor milk banks are a blessing.
The Nectar Of Life: Kerala’s First Human Milk Bank
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Recently in India, Kerala opened up its first-ever state-of-the-art milk bank in Ernakulam General Hospital in Kochi. On February 5th, 2021, the health minister of Kerala, K.K Shailaja, inaugurated the human milk bank facility called the Nectar Of Life through a video conference. During the inauguration ceremony, she spoke about how this long-standing dream of a human milk bank, popular in several other countries, became a proud reality in Kerala.
The health minister also emphasized the importance of breast milk for babies’ immunities and stated that the human milk bank would help save many babies’ lives by improving their immunity. It was set up with the help of the Rotary Club of Cochin Global and aims to provide breast milk to newborns who cannot be breastfed by their own mothers.
Those who wish to donate milk can do so to ensure that breast milk is available to newborns whose mothers may be sick, deceased, or have a low milk supply. The donors of the milk will be mothers who give birth at the Ernakulam General Hospital.
The Nectar of Life plans to supply the milk free of cost initially to the babies admitted to the hospital’s NICU. Eventually, they plan to build and establish a network of hospitals that will help them collect and distribute milk safely. It is excellent to see Kerala take up this promising initiative. It’s a stepping stone to providing babies with adequate nutrition and becoming a source of “nectar” for them.
Kerala’s initiative towards a human milk bank is a step in the right direction to save the lives of countless babies that suffer from low immunity and other health complications due to inadequate nutrition. We hope other states follow suit and establish life-saving milk banks soon so that it’s available to every newborn who needs it. What are your thoughts on human milk banks? Comment below and let us know!
