Donate your extra breast milk to a Milk Bank
We don’t need the World Health Organisation’s directive to feed babies breast milk for the first six months of their life – to know that breast milk gives your baby the best start in life.
Nature knows what is best for our babies – and the benefits of breastfeeding have been shown over the centuries. The benefits of breastfeeding include protecting your new baby from illnesses by giving your baby antibodies to help your baby fight infection. Infections like gastric infections, respiratory infections, urinary infections and ear infections amongst others.
There is evidence that breastfeeding reduces the risk of allergies and asthma, and also that breastfeeding in the first 4 months of life reduces the risk of SIDS.
But what happens when for whatever reason, a newborn baby does not have access to breast milk?
A WHO/UNICEF resolution states:
Where it is not possible for the biological mother to breastfeed, the first alternative, if available, should be the use of human milk from other sources. Human milk banks should be made available in appropriate situations”
Some Governments around the world are now working with lactating Mothers – to help collect extra breast milk – so that that milk can be safely delivered to newborn babies where getting the best start in life can be the difference between life or death.
Back in the 80’s when I first trained as a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse, we had no shortage of donated human breast milk. This is what we fed all newborns who were at risk – donated breast milk – if the Mom was unable to produce enough breast milk for her baby. With the huge surge in HIV/AIDS across the world the practice of donating extra breast milk for other vulnerable babies stopped. Because HIV/AIDS is carried in breast milk – this was now considered to be a dangerous practice.
Many breastfeeding Moms have been throwing their extra breastmilk – literally down the drain. For some lactating mothers who have excess breast milk – most would willingly donate this to breast milk banks for sick newborn babies. In some poorer countries there are lactating mothers who would sell their breast milk – something that would support not only the vulnerable babies receiving the milk, but also help the lactating Mother support her family.
There are costs involved with making sure this human breast milk is safe for human newborns. The milk needs to be collected, it needs to be screened and then pasteurised. After it is pasteurised – it is now safe for other newborns. In order for it to be safely stored – it needs to be frozen into smaller amounts – and then this human breast milk needs to get from the Milk bank – to those babies who need it most.
Can you see how precious breast milk is?
Why not find out what is happening in your area, your country – and see what you can do to help get funding to make sure that Human Milk Banks are increasing around the world – bringing their healing liquid to little newborn babies – who are literally fighting for their lives. These little babies can only accept what they are given, and the parents are too traumatised watching their sick infant – to be able to be out there asking.
This is what is so inspirational about humanity – getting together and helping others who are less fortunate – so get onboard – and increase awareness in YOUR community – and help make these Human Milk Banks viable.
To find out where exisiting Human Milk Banks are in your country, you can contact:
In the USA http://www.promom.org/bf_info/breastmilk_banks.html
In Australia: http://www.mothersmilkbank.com.au
In UK: http://www.ukamb.org
Ros Vroom (Registered Midwife/Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse) ©2010
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