Acts of Love

It is called a "bank" because it is a place where mothers voluntarily invest a precious resource, knowing that this investment yields invaluable benefits for the health and well-being of many infants.

The milk bank shares several similarities with a blood bank:

·       Donation: A selfless act of love for others, based entirely on voluntary contributions.

·       Species-specific material: Produced by humans, for humans.

·       Collection, processing, and storage: Carried out according to the latest national and international scientific recommendations to ensure safety and preserve the biological integrity of its active components.

·       Free distribution upon justified request.

A Human Milk Bank is a service dedicated to the collection, selection, processing, storage, and distribution of donated milk. Its mission is to gather milk from donor mothers and, after appropriate processing, provide it to newborns in need.

This essential service relies on the generosity of carefully selected volunteer donors, who make an invaluable contribution to safeguarding the health of the most fragile infants.

Human milk is not just a food—it is a biological system. Its unique composition, which includes essential nutrients, enzymes, hormones, growth factors, and anti-infective properties, makes it an irreplaceable and unparalleled resource.

Human milk contains all the nutrients an infant needs in the right proportions to support optimal growth and development. Scientific studies have shown that breast milk helps prevent numerous conditions, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), obesity, allergies, and cardiovascular diseases.

In recent decades, research has also highlighted the extraordinary benefits of breast milk for preterm infants and those with medical conditions.

One significant challenge in providing human milk lies in the difficulty of securing this natural resource. The existence of a Human Milk Bank makes overcoming this challenge possible.

Human milk is essential for preterm infants and in certain pediatric medical conditions, such as:

·       Severe malnutrition associated with congenital heart disease or other malformations

·       Gastrointestinal diseases

·       Neurological disorders with malnutrition

·       AIDS

·       Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction

·       Congenital metabolic disorders

·       Severe food intolerances

·       Intractable diarrhea

In these situations, fresh maternal milk is the first-choice nutrition. When this is unavailable, milk from a Human Milk Bank provides the best alternative. Research has demonstrated that for preterm infants, human milk has therapeutic properties that reduce the risk of infections and severe conditions such as necrotizing enterocolitis, a condition to which these infants are particularly susceptible. Furthermore, studies show that for premature or low-birthweight infants, both their mother’s milk and donor milk significantly shorten hospital stays.

All mothers in good health, with a balanced lifestyle, and who have been breastfeeding for less than six months can become donors, provided they consent to the use of their milk for the milk bank’s needs.

Mothers are introduced to the Milk Bank through internal and external outreach initiatives promoted by the hospital and the Milk Bank itself. During their hospital stay, each mother is personally contacted by Milk Bank staff.

The selection process is conducted with care and precision: through an initial interview and a questionnaire completed by the mothers, the donor’s lifestyle and dietary habits are evaluated (e.g., no smoking, no more than four cups of coffee per day, no more than one glass of wine per day). Donors must also commit to providing at least 100 ml of milk daily.

·       Donors receive a free blood test to rule out active contagious infectious diseases (HBV, HCV, HIV).

·       They are trained in practical and hygienic methods for handling breast milk (including extraction, storage, and treatment).

·       All necessary materials for milk collection (breast pumps, bottles) are provided free of charge.

Even small quantities of milk are invaluable for preterm or medically fragile newborns. Most breastfeeding women can donate milk, as increased stimulation of the mammary gland enhances milk production. Donations can be made in amounts that are feasible for the donor and for as long as they wish. Every drop of milk is precious, particularly from mothers who have given birth prematurely or recently, due to the unique nutritional and protective properties of their milk.

The Milk Bank’s operations include the collection, transportation, processing, preparation, storage, and distribution of donated milk.

· To promote awareness and appreciation of breastfeeding and breast milk donation.

· To support breastfeeding initiatives through education, outreach, and incentives for both breastfeeding and milk donation.

·   To provide donated breast milk to newborns who need it but lack access to their own mother’s milk.

The quality of the product is ensured through the meticulous execution of established procedures, including donor screening, milk collection and storage methods, physical and bacteriological testing, pasteurization, and comprehensive documentation of medical and administrative records.