Donating breast milk is a way of being a support network – 05/19/2023 – Maternar

Every year around 330,000 babies born in Brazil are premature or have low birth weight and need breast milk donations to survive. The number represents 11% of all children born in the country, an average of 3 million per year.

The pediatrician and neonatologist of the Parto com Amor team, Tatiana Cicerelli, recalls that the delicate situation of premature children in the hospital interferes with the milk production of many mothers in the ICU.

“Sometimes, a simple phone call can increase the stress of this woman, who is already fragile, and make her milk production drop to zero. Apart from external factors, the routine in the ICU is very heavy and can also affect the mothers of premature. Many start the puerperium with a feeling of great incompleteness, of an empty hole”, he says.

This feeling, according to Cicerelli, is even greater when they find themselves unable to breastfeed. “The mother of a premature baby in the ICU needs to be embraced, heard and welcomed. One of the ways to embrace this woman is by donating milk for her baby.

“Those bottles of milk don’t just contain food, they contain emotions, happiness and support. Donating is also a way of being a support network”, observes the pediatrician.

Rafael’s mother, four months old, marketing coordinator Vanessa Copped, 39, decided to donate milk because there was always a lot of production. “It always leaked and it was heartbreaking to see so much milk go away while other babies needed it,” she says.

Two months ago, he researched and started donating weekly to Hospital da Mulher, in Santo André, in ABC Paulista. She considers the donation process smooth. “The most ‘annoying’ part is that there is a whole lot of care with the pump, you need to wash it with an exclusive sponge, sterilize it after each use and let it dry naturally, but I think of the distress of these parents who still haven’t returned home with their children and I put myself in place when I look at my little one, at home”, she reports.

“During milking, I say a prayer and send positive energies to those who will receive the milk”, he says.

Mother of Conan, 5, and Diana, 2, public relations person Lívia Tamashiro, donated after the birth of the two children. Because of the pandemic, she had to move with her family to Sorocaba, in the interior of São Paulo and there, the blood test, which is mandatory for those who donate, was done at her residence. “It’s an important differentiator. I keep imagining that the work of moving to the bank is already an impediment for many women”, she says.

“I only stopped donating because I no longer reached the amount needed to complete the bottle on time”, he recalls.

Kelly Coca, coordinator of the Ana Abrão Center (an institution for assistance, teaching and research in breastfeeding and a human milk bank) explains that the Human Milk Bank of UNIFESP accepts donations of human milk with volumes greater than 200 ml per week and the donor does not may make use of medications that interfere with breastfeeding.

IMPORTANCE OF DONATION

“Care in the first thousand days of a child’s life is essential for disease prevention and breastfeeding is a fundamental part of this process”, says Heloisa Oliveira, director-president of the Opy Institute.

“The donation makes hospitalized babies with low weight and who cannot be breastfed by their mothers have the opportunity to receive the benefits of food, with greater chances of full development”, he adds.

Kelly Coca points out that the baby who receives donated milk can recover faster, in addition to being protected from infections, diarrhea and allergies. She recalls that women who have low milk production can seek help from the specialized service of the Human Milk Bank (BLH) closest to their residence.

Lívia Tamashiro used this service after the birth of her first child. She was monitored during feedings, baby weighing and conversations with nutritionists.

To donate, breast milk must be stored in glass bottles with plastic lids, cleaned with soap and water and then boiled for 15 minutes. The breast needs to be cleaned with water and hands washed with soap and water and the donor must wear a cap and mask over her nose and mouth to prevent hair or droplets of saliva from falling into the donated milk. In general, banks provide all these items to donors.

May 19th is Breast Milk Donation Awareness Day. This year, the campaign’s slogan is: “A small gesture can feed a big dream: Donate breast milk!

According to the Ministry of Health, each year, 150,000 liters of human breast milk are collected, processed and distributed to low birth weight newborns hospitalized in neonatal units across the country.

One liter of donated breast milk can feed up to 10 newborns a day. Depending on the baby’s weight, 1 ml is enough to nourish him when he is fed.

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