WORLD BREAST FEEDING DAY 2022: Breast milk is the ultimate superfood for a baby. It is packed with all the nutrients needed for a baby’s health. It remains the primary and only food a baby gets for the first six months of life. Breast milk has been proven to reduce the risk of disease and death in low birth weight and preterm infants.
But under some unfortunate circumstances, some babies have to be deprived of this nutritious diet. The factors responsible for this are the death of the birth mother, mothers who cannot breastfeed properly, and mothers who abandon babies in the midst of others. What has proven to be a simple and effective way to fill the gap in such cases is breast milk donation from new mothers and the milk banks.
ALSO READ: World Breastfeeding Week 2022: Dates, Theme, History and Meaning
Vulnerable newborns across India and around the world can access breast milk using facilities such as milk banks. New nursing mothers can donate their milk to these places that are accessible to caregivers of babies who cannot get it from their own birth mother.
These hospital and nursing home facilities proved to be of great service even during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many babies being separated from their mothers due to many factors, including the latter’s contamination with the virus.
According to a study published in the International Breastfeeding Journal in 2020, there are currently more than 80 milk banks in India.
It is a very noble act of the new mothers who come to donate their breast milk for the babies in need. It has helped save so many lives around the world. As we celebrate World Breastfeeding Week from August 1 to August 7, we need to take some time to appreciate this initiative.
Read all Latest news and Important news here