Da Nang Breast Milk Bank provides lifeline for newborns
DNO - After several years of operation, the Da Nang Breast Milk Bank has supplied thousands of liters of breast milk to tens of thousands of newborns suffering from health conditions that prevent them from receiving milk from their own mothers in the crucial first days of life.
The Breast Milk Bank under the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children, the first of its kind in Vietnam, has become a humane support for tens of thousands of vulnerable newborns over the past 8 years of operation.
The initiative for the establishment of the bank is born from the urgent need to support preterm, low-birthweight, and sick babies who can not be breastfed although breast milk is a valuable source of nutrition to boost immunity and reduce the risk of disease and mortality.
Mothers from both the hospital and the community voluntarily donate their breast milk to the bank. The donated milk is then processed, pasteurized and strictly inspected before being transferred to newborns in need of intensive care. Many cases have experienced miraculous recoveries thanks to this life-saving source of nutrition.
Over the past 8 years, the bank has received donations of breast milk from 729 mothers, including 393 in the hospital and 336 from the community.
A total of 15,830 liters of milk have been collected, of which 13,113 liters of milk have been pasteurized and provided to 44,755 newborns. These figures not only reflect the clear effectiveness of the model but also show the spreading of the spirit of compassion and sharing in the community.
“Donating breast milk to the Breast Milk Bank means sharing love with less fortunate babies who lack the warmth and sweetness of their own mother's milk on their journey of life. The journey of nurturing healthy children involves not only the hands of doctors, nurses, parents and grandparents but also the contribution of love from the community”, said Dr. Tran Thi Hoang, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children.