What you must know about human milk banks in India?

Human Milk Banks collect milk from nursing mothers who may have excess supply or from mothers who are no longer nursing their babies but would like to donate the milk for a good cause. The milk is screened for any kind of infections and then also processed which also includes pasteurisation. This process does not hamper the quality of the breast milk which would still be far more superior to commercially available formula.

Currently there are no organised facilities in India but there are some milk banks which are operating. Breast milk is issued only after prescription from the baby’s doctor. In the current scenario, breast milk from these donor banks is only being issued to babies in the neonatal intensive care. These babies are born premature and breast milk has the necessary fats to help them gain their birth weight. Breast milk is also rich in anti bodies which helps these little babies develop a stronger immune system.

Donors are not expected to be paid for the donation and the cost of the processing and storage is borne by the breast milk bank. This can be extremely expensive.

If you need breast milk for your baby, please ensure that you purchase the same from an authorised breast milk bank only. There are many internet sites which sell breast milk online and although this can be very tempting it is best to avoid purchasing breast milk online. These samples may not be tested and have been found to be very high in bacteria.

Also read more about: Breast milk bank in India: a boon for many moms and babies!

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