Mother’s milk bank to open soon in Jaipur

To provide milk to those babies whose mothers are not healthy enough to feed their infants, a mother’s milk bank will be opened in Jaipur. Earlier, a similar initiative was taken in Udaipur.

The mother milk bank will be set up at Mahila Chikitsalaya near Sanganeri Gate. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Oslo University

Hospital Norway, JK Lone Hospital and Government of Rajasthan for the purpose, said JK Lone Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr SD Sharma.

The Jaipur bank will be run by state government while the Udaipur one is being run by an NGO.

Mothers of premature infants, mothers who have given birth to stillborn infants can donate milk. They would be provided adequate counselling so that they come forward and donate milk. Even lactating mothers - who are nursing their own babies but still have surplus milk can donate, said officials. Through modern techniques of pasteurization and storage this milk can be made available to infants.

Highlighting the importance of mother’s milk, Sharma said, “A few years ago, parents of a newborn baby girl had consulted him about the deteriorating condition of their baby. The baby, just after the delivery, was adopted by a couple with the intention that the bonding of the baby and parents will get strong if the child remains with them from the day1. The baby did not get mother’s milk as a result her health was deteriorating.”

“The concerned parents brought the newborn to me and I suggested them to feed the baby with mother’s milk,” said Dr Sharma.

“The father of the child came after three-four days and thanked me and said that the mother who had delivered the baby had gone back to the village and maid who was working in his house was breastfeeding her small baby. The domestic helper agreed to feed the baby and even refused to take money. After which the condition of the newborn improved.”

“Today, the baby is around 10 years old and leading a healthy life; all this could happen because she got mother’s milk on time,” Sharma said.
JK Lone superintendent said the mother’s milk bank will be set up in this financial year at Mahila Chikitsalaya, near the neonatal unit of JK Lone hospital.
Two nurses of JK Lone Hospital had gone to Oslo University Hospital, Norway for training for six months and have returned back and two other nurses have now gone for the training.

These nurses will be trained to counsel mothers to donate milk for the children who are deprived of their mother’s
milk.