Breast milk bank at Vani Vilas sees a steady rise in number of donors

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

Breast milk banks in the city have become a saviour for many infants by providing them neonatal care and nutrition. Seeing the rise in demand, the Karnataka government opened the first state-funded human breast milk bank, named ‘Amrutha Dhare’, at Vani Vilas Hospital in March this year. On the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week, News Trail talked to doctors about the demand, accessibility and need for breast milk banks.

According to Archana B, nursing officer at Vani Vilas, the milk bank has seen a rise in the number of people donating milk and the bank currently has 21 litres of milk in collection. “In the first month, merely 30 women donated milk. Earlier, we were dependent on donations from outside, but after we started in-house donation from our hospital, we have seen the number of people donating milk go up to 120 in a month,” she said.

Archana also informed that more than 150 infants have benefited from the milk bank. The hospital targets to collect one litre of human milk every day in the coming months. Dr Sushma, medical officer, Vani Vilas, informed that the milk is collected on a voluntary basis. The donors are usually the women who have excess milk.

“Women willing to donate are counselled about the milk bank, and they are also provided with a letter of appreciation,” she said. Savita (name changed on request) had her delivery in April. “I am already thin and I was sick for a while, so I was not able to produce breast milk. After consulting the doctor, me and my husband decided that the best option for my child’s health is to get milk from a milk bank,” she said.

Savita also added that she was sceptical about the milk bank, but after consulting the doctor she decided to go for it. However, some doctors have also raised concerns about procuring breast milk in private milk banks. “Poor women from rural areas are lured into selling milk to these milk banks. Some women are unaware of the effect on the nutritional quality of the milk. At large, it has become business for private players who would charge hefty amounts from people for breast milk,” said a doctor.

The concept of human breast milk banks is to provide breast milk for premature infants, orphans, infants of deceased mothers, infants of sick mothers and mothers having insufficient breast milk after birth to feed new babies. According to the National Family Health Survey, 46 per cent of infants under six months old are not being breastfed.