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Life-Giving Drops: Mothers Share Milk for Premature Babies
27 Sep
Summary
- Gujarat's milk banks have collected over 17,000 liters from thousands of donors.
- Donated milk provides crucial nutrition for premature and low-birth-weight infants.
- Mothers donate for various reasons, including personal experience and empathy.
Gujarat's six public-sector human milk banks have collected over 17,025 liters of milk from more than 52,000 donors, benefiting 47,579 babies over the past 18 years. These facilities play a critical role in providing vital nutrition for premature and low-birth-weight infants when a mother's own milk is insufficient or unavailable.
A significant number of donors are mothers whose own children are undergoing intensive care, finding solace and purpose in helping others. Personal experiences, such as struggling with milk production or witnessing the need in neonatal intensive care units, often motivate women to donate. For instance, Nidhi Soni's experience inspired her to donate 25 liters between January and May.
The process involves screening donors for health, hygienic expression, pasteurization, and testing to ensure safety. Despite initial hesitations due to misconceptions or practical concerns, the practice is becoming more familiar, with community groups and NGOs actively promoting donation camps. This collective effort ensures that even a few milliliters of donated milk can provide a life-saving feed.
