The Karnataka government has established a critical lifeline for premature and vulnerable newborns through its human milk banks operating within state-run hospitals. These facilities collect, process, and store donated breast milk, providing essential nutrition for infants whose mothers are unable to feed them due to medical or other reasons.
The Step-by-Step Donation Process
Potential milk donors are primarily mothers who are admitted as in-patients or who visit the outpatient departments of participating government hospitals. The process begins with thorough counseling and screening. Healthcare workers identify lactating mothers who have an abundant milk supply and are willing to donate.
Donors must pass a detailed health screening to ensure the safety of the milk. This includes tests for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and other infectious diseases. Only mothers who clear this stringent medical check are permitted to donate. The counseling also covers the importance of hygiene and the impact their donation will have on saving fragile infant lives.
Collection, Pasteurization, and Storage
Actual milk collection is done with great care. Donors express their milk using provided, sterilized equipment, often manual or electric breast pumps, in a clean and private environment within the hospital. The collected milk is immediately labeled with crucial details: the donor's unique identification code, the date and time of expression, and the volume collected.
The milk is then rapidly transported to the milk bank laboratory. Here, it undergoes pasteurization using the Holder method, where it is heated to 62.5°C for 30 minutes and then swiftly cooled. This process eliminates potential harmful bacteria while preserving most of the milk's vital nutritional and immunological components.
Post-pasteurization, samples are cultured to confirm the absence of bacterial growth. Only batches that pass this microbiological testing are approved for use. The safe milk is then stored in specialized frozen containers at -20°C, where it can be preserved for up to six months. Each batch is meticulously logged for complete traceability.
Distribution to the Most Vulnerable Infants
The processed donor human milk (PDHM) is not for general sale. It is dispensed strictly by prescription from a medical professional. The primary recipients are premature babies, low birth weight infants, orphans, and those whose mothers are critically ill, have lactation failure, or have passed away. Hospitals like Vani Vilas Hospital in Bengaluru serve as central hubs in this network.
Before feeding, the frozen milk is thawed in a controlled water bath. The entire system operates under the guiding principle that when a mother's own milk is unavailable, pasteurized donor human milk is the next best alternative, far superior to formula for these high-risk neonates. This initiative underscores the state's commitment to improving child survival rates and achieving better health outcomes.
The establishment of these banks tackles a major challenge in neonatal care. By creating a structured, safe, and ethical channel for breast milk donation, Karnataka's public health system ensures that no vulnerable newborn is deprived of the life-saving benefits of breast milk due to circumstances beyond their control.
