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SINGAPORE: Mothers who are unable to produce enough milk for their premature or sick infants can now rely on a safe supply of breast milk, with the launch of a three-year pilot for Singapore’s first donor breast milk bank.
The programme, a collaboration between KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and Temasek Foundation Cares, was launched by former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob on Thursday (Aug 17).
The foundation has set aside S$1.37 million for the milk bank, which will collect, screen, process and store breast milk from donor mothers.
In a joint media release, KKH and the foundation said they hope to recruit 375 mothers who are willing to donate their excess breast milk supply. They will need to undergo a “stringent” screening process, which includes tests for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis.
The programme is expected to benefit about 900 babies receiving neonatal care at KKH, Singapore General Hospital and the National University Hospital over the three-year period.
According to the statement, about 350 "very low birth weight” infants receive neonatal intensive care in local public Hospitals.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that mothers exclusively breast feed their babies for the first six months, as it is a vital source of nutrition and antibodies that boost their immune system.
"The fat globules in breast milk enable better brain development as well as development of vision," said KKH’s head of neonatology, Dr Chua Mei Chien. Dr Chua is also director of the milk bank programme.
According to experts, breast milk is critical for premature babies, who are at risk of being infected with a disease known as necrotising enterocolitis. But it takes mothers of premature babies a period of days or weeks before their bodies are able to produce enough milk.
KKH said up to 80 per cent of sick infants in the neonatal intensive care unit and the special care nursery have to drink formula milk for premature babies because their mothers are unable to produce enough milk.
"The provision of safe, pasteurised donor breast milk is aimed at reducing the risk of potential complications, while optimising their immunity, development and overall health," the statement said.
With the launch, Singapore joins about 40 countries to operate official milk banks.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...launches-first-donor-breast-milk-bank-9130360
