Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Dec 4: The first mother’s milk bank in Coastal Karnataka, “Rotary Amrit,” started three years ago at Lady Goshen Hospital, has become a lifeline for 278 newborns in the past one and a half years.

Through the human milk bank, 2,661 mothers have donated a total of 364.23 litres of breast milk, which is pasteurised and provided to infants in neonatal intensive care units.

“Premature and low-birthweight babies often cannot be breastfed immediately, as their mothers may not yet produce milk. Formula can affect growth and immunity, but providing natural milk from our bank ensures better development,” said a hospital spokesperson.

Lady Goshen Hospital serves pregnant women from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and neighbouring districts and states, with around 450–500 deliveries monthly.

Mothers delivering at the hospital voluntarily come forward to donate milk, collected through a painless, electric system. Pasteurised milk can be stored for up to six months, with around 600 ml provided daily to infants.

A remarkable case involved a newborn weighing only 718 grams. Thanks to milk from the bank, the infant gained weight to 1.4 kg, significantly improving survival chances.

Breast milk is considered the ideal nutrition for newborns, especially during the first six months, as it contains numerous immune-boosting cells. When a mother cannot produce milk, the mother’s milk bank provides critical support, aided by the humanitarian spirit of many donating mothers.