First ‘Mother’s Milk Bank’ in Uttar Pradesh opens in Agra

The first ‘Mother’s Milk Bank’ in Uttar Pradesh was established in Agra on Tuesday with the goal of guaranteeing that every baby receives breast milk, which is essential for immunity.

This facility will collect, screen, pasteurize, and distribute human milk to low-income moms who are unable to lactate, promoting good growth and infection prevention in the offspring.

In addition to breastfeeding their children, senior health officials in Agra urged lactating women to give breast milk to a bank.

The lactarium, according to the officials, would give youngsters who were deprived of their mother’s milk life support.

Any nursing woman may donate her baby’s leftover breast milk to the woman Milk Bank. The milk can be donated and stored in a stainless steel container by the donors. After that, it can be transported to the bank in a chilled bag with dry ice. To determine whether the donor mother has any diseases, the milk will be examined in the bank. The milk will be approved for distribution following testing.

The opening of the milk bank, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Arun Srivastava, is a ‘significant achievement’ for maintaining the immunization and good rearing of children.

Mother’s milk may be securely preserved and used for a year when kept at minus 20 degrees in the freezer, according to senior public health specialist Deepak J Dawe, who was involved in the establishment of the human milk banks in India.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that, in contrast to persons from low-income groups, women from higher social classes are still reluctant to donate breast milk.

Breast milk banks are regarded as an essential component of the healthcare system and are crucial to promoting the health and happiness of infants and families.