KZN’s first public breast milk bank
Stanger Provincial Hospital is home to the province's first public donor breast milk bank.
Stanger Provincial Hospital officially opened the province’s first public donor human breast milk bank on Thursday.
The establishment of the bank follows a call from the health department to make breastfeeding the primary option for newborns.
A donor milk bank involves breastfeeding mothers voluntarily expressing and donating breast milk without compromising supply for their own babies. Milk is tested, pasteurised and frozen before being fed to babies in need.
Chief dietician Charlene Giovanelli-Nicolson said pre-term, low birth weight, abandoned and orphaned babies would benefit from the bank.
“We want to give infants the best start as early as possible. Breast milk is highly nutritious and reduces incidences of diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition in newborns. We are looking to specifically target babies whose mothers are, for whatever
reason, unable to breastfeed.”
The bank, located in the hospital’s neonatal unit, will control processing of donor breast milk from all clinics and hospitals within the Ilembe district.
A strict screening process is in place for potential donors and the bank’s equipment, valued at just over R 100 000, is able to trace milk from donor to baby.
The equipment includes a fridge, pasteuriser, printer and data logger system. Donated milk is placed into 130ml bottles which are tightly sealed and monitored through the pasteurising process.
Milk is then frozen for up to six months, when it will be thrown away if it has not been used.
Giovanellí-Nicolson said they hope donating will begin within the hospital, but mothers willing to donate from home may apply.
For more information contact the hospital’s dietetics department on 032-4376129/6021/6312, the nursery on 032-437-6176/6177 or email Dietician.
