Country's first human milk bank launched

The first human milk bank of the country was launched in Dhaka recently. The programme, launched by the Special Care Neonatal Unit (SCANU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Institute of Child and Mother Health (ICMH), started on 1 December. However, it will be officially inaugurated later.

Lactating mothers, who lose their infants or have leftover milk after feeding their infants, can store the breast milk at the bank. The milk can be fed to infants having no breastfeeding mothers. It can also be used for neonates who can't get milk from their mothers for medical reasons. Also, newborns kept at the ICMH Kangaroo Mother Care with their family members can use the milk.

Premature or sick babies staying at the SCANU or NICU will be fed the preserved breast milk. A child, delivered before 37th week of pregnancy and weighing less than 2,000 grammes, is kept in close contact to one's skin in the kangaroo care technic. The milk can be used for adopted or abandoned infants, too.

No financial exchanges will be made in the collection or distribution of the milk in this privately funded programme.

ICMH is an autonomous institution launched in 1998. It has been run on the funds of the government, local and international institutions, people and the institution itself. In 2018, according to ICMH, some 1,865 infants were admitted into the SCANU or NICU of which 488 were in a critical condition. A total of 25 infants without mothers have been admitted since January 2018 till this July. There were 37 adopted infants, too. Most of these children died but they could have been saved if given breast milk.

In a recent visit to ICMH, pasteurising machines along with special refrigerators and other equipment were found installed on the second floor. The employees were being trained there.

"Mothers will be screened for Hepatitis or HIV before collecting milk," said Mojibur Rahman, associate professor of ICMH, currently coordinating the programme. He visited two human milk banks in Spain and India before launching the bank.

The stored milk will remain usable for 3 to 18 months. Ingredients including starch, protein and fat can be separated from the milk and fed as per the infant's need. Milk procured from the bank can be used within 72 hours at home. The milk can contribute to prevent infant deaths and malnutrition.

"Brazil has been successful in preventing infant deaths by 28 per cent and child malnutrition by 73 per cent setting up a record 216 human milk banks," Mojibur said, adding, "India has been successful in this regard, too."

Breast milk bank brings the opportunity for working mothers staying outdoors at a stretch to preserve their milk for their own children, said the coordinator.

Mothers themselves can now come and store the milk and take it back later. “Human milk bank employees too will collect and deliver the milk once vans are initiated,” he added.

"We've taken the highest precaution in setting up the bank as it's the first of its kind in the country," said MA Mannan, executive director of IMCH. Religious standards will strictly be maintained as well, he further said.
Kuwait was the first Muslim country to set up the first breast milk bank. Mannan said the operation details regarding the milk banks in Iran, Iraq, Arab Amirat, Malaysia and Pakistan have been studied. Observations from the concerned people of the religion ministry and Islamic Foundation have been taken too.

Over Tk 10 million have been spent for setting up the bank. "This is little compared to the role it will play to save the infants," Mannan observed.

"Though this amount is big for a person or an institution, it is not so big for the government," he added.

*This piece, originally appearing in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten here in English by Nusrat Nowrin.