434 litres of human milk donated to Milk Bank at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital given to 451 newborns

Ahmedabad:In about eight months since it began operation, the Milk Bank at Civil Hospital has collected 434 litres of human milk from 2,042 lactating mothers. The bank has provided milk to 451 newborn children, said Dr Rakesh Joshi, medical superintendent of Civil Hospital.

Dr Sucheta Munshi, in charge of the Milk Bank, said that several lactating mothers went above and beyond their call of duty by donating milk to infants, especially premature babies. “In one instance, a woman’s baby was in hospital for 32 days. During this period, the mother donated 24 litres of milk. Another woman, whose daughter was in the hospital 40 days after birth, donated 24 litres of milk,” Munshi said. “The milk is administered to babies whose mothers cannot breastfeed due to various reasons, including illness. Mother’s milk is like nectar as it helps children develop early immunity.”