Mother’s milk bank in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: In a first of its kind in the country, a mother’s milk bank will be set up in the city on June 1, the International Day for the Protection of Children.

Some child protection organisations and Lotus Children’s Hospitals will host the bank, and milk will be supplied to malnourished infants in Shishu Vihars to reduce the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). AP has the highest IMR in South India with 62 deaths for 1,000 births, and also tops the list of 10 states that have not adopted any remedial measures so far.

Experts say that mothers can produce 600 ml milk a day and 300 ml is sufficient for a baby.

“The milk is thawed by placing the container in lukewarm water. Babies in need are the ones with Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW). The banking involves pasteurisation at 62.5 deg C for 30 minutes which preserves around 80 per cent of immunological factors and destroys 99 per cent of pathogens Cultures are regularly taken to assure safety. The milk is stored in a freezer at -20 degrees Celsius. Organisers will procure milk from donors and bring it to the storage centres. The milk will be screened to rule out infections. Safe milk will be donated to infants free of cost,” said Anuradha Rao, Secretary, AP Balala Hakkula Sangham.