WORLD BREASTFEEDING DAY 2022: Breast milk is the ultimate superfood for an infant. It is full of all the nutrients necessary for a baby’s health. It remains the primary and only food a baby has for the first six months of their life. It is proven that human breast milk reduces the risk of diseases and death among infants with low birth weights and premature babies.
But under some unfortunate circumstances, some babies have to stay devoid of this nutritious diet. The factors responsible for this are the death of the biological mother, mothers being unable to lactate properly, and mothers abandoning babies, amid others. In such cases, what has proven to be a simple and effective way to fill the gap are breast milk donations by new mothers and the milk banks.
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Vulnerable newborns across India and around the world are able to get access to human breast milk with the help of facilities, such as milk banks. New mothers who are lactating can donate their milk at these places which can be accessed by caretakers of babies who are unable to receive it from their own biological mother.
These facilities provided by hospitals and nursing homes, proved to be of great service even during the Covid-19 pandemic where many infants were separated from their mothers due to many factors, including the latter being infected with the virus.
According to a study published in the International Breastfeeding Journal in 2020, there are over 80 milk banks currently in India.
It is a very noble act on the part of the new moms who come and donate their breastmilk for the infants in need. It has been helping save so many lives all across the globe. As we celebrate World Breastfeeding Week from August 1 – August 7, we must take out some time to appreciate this initiative.
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