Mumbai: Breastfeeding Week puts focus on milk banks

In the slums of Antop Hill thirty to forty women marched on Wednesday shouting slogans like lsquoStop those milk bottles and save a lifersquo aiming to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding within the communityGlobally the first week of August is observed as Breastfeeding Week The rally was organised by volunteers from the NGO Sneha ldquoEven today there are many myths in the community about breastfeeding and people turn to formula milk which is not only expensive but also harmful to the health of a newbornrdquo said Shrikant programme manager at SnehaA father and child promote breastfeeding as part of a drive organised by NGO SnehaFormulafed infants as opposed to breastfed ones are at higher risk of infections like necrotising enterocolitis NEC especially if they are premature Furthermore formula feeding increases their risk of respiratory infections and potential longterm complicationsAsked why formula milk is still used in the area one common response was that mothers often cannot produce milk ldquoMilk banks are available but usually only in large hospitals Most women give birth in small private hospitals and doctors are quick to prescribe formula milk They are not directed to the milk banksrdquo said a community health worker with the NGOAnother reason for dependence on formula milk said Shalini Shetty associate director maternal health at Sneha is the prolonged work hours ldquoWomen in the community face a time crunch to breastfeed even when theyrsquore able to In that case we canrsquot link them to milk banksrdquoMilk banksThe establishment of Asiarsquos first milk bank in 1989 at Sion Hospital is credited to Sneharsquos founder Dr Armida Fernandez who was the dean of the hospital at the time along with Dr Jayashree Mondkar head of the department of neonatology In the years following the concept expanded to other BMCrun facilities In 2014 the concept was introduced at Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital Even today there are just over 90 milk banks across the countryAccording to Dr Forum Shah of Wadia Hospital the slow expansion of milk banks is due to their noble but costly nature ldquoThere is no buying or selling involvedrdquo she said The significant costs associated with setting up and maintaining milk banks deter private sector investment ldquoHospitals must cover expenses for manpower and the maintenance equipment is expensiverdquo Dr Shah notedThere are only a few milk banks in the city Once women are counselled and come forward to donate milk it is tested pasteurised and then dispensed as needed ldquoMany women who deliver at Wadia have comorbidities and are unable to produce milk Sometimes the mother may be admitted elsewhere while the baby is at Wadia Such cases benefit significantly from the milk bank reducing the risk of infection for newbornsrdquo Dr Shah saidOf the 150 babies in Wadias Neonatal Intensive Care Unit NICU daily at least 50 per cent require milk from the milk bank In the ten years since its establishment the hospital has managed to collect an average of 700 litres annually There are 4000 to 5000 annual deliveries at Wadia with 40 to 50 per cent of these being preterm ldquoExposure to anything other than breast milk can be lifethreatening for preterm infantsrdquo Dr Shah notedThis situation is also prevalent in civic hospitals with high incidences of preterm babies Dr Anitha Ananthan head of KEMrsquos neonatology observed that nearly 30 per cent of babies born at the hospital are preterm Last year the hospital recorded 4960 deliveries ldquoAmong the preterm infants the incidence of necrotising enterocolitis is very low because the hospital has its own human milk bankrdquo she added700Litres of milk collected annually at Wadia Hospital milk bank