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Every Drop Makes a Difference human milk banks in the philippines

For infants unable to receive breastmilk from their mothers, human milk banks serve a vital role. Human milk banking is an essential component of a breastfeeding-friendly health system, giving pre-term, low birthweight, and other vulnerable infants access to the multiple benefits of breastmilk when they need it most. Read A&T's Practice Pointer in The BMJ Journal on the use of donor milk here.

In the Philippines, around 50,000 infants are born prematurely each year, and about 15% of Filipino newborns suffer from low birth-weight (Philippines Statistics Authority, NDHS 2017).

Breastmilk, which is safe, clean and contains antibodies, is the ideal source of nourishment for these at-risk infants – children who are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life are 14 times more likely to survive than children who are not breastfed (Lancet 2008).

In this photo, a mother breastfeeds her baby directly while the other feeds her preterm baby with breastmilk from the Human Milk Bank through a tube in the Philippine General Hospital, Manila.

In instances where mothers’ own milk is unavailable to infants, the World Health Organization recommends donated human milk from Human Milk Banks.

Newborn triplets, all with low birth weight, at the Philippine General Hospital. During their first week of life, their mother couldn’t yet produce enough breastmilk; to meet their needs, they were fed pasteurized milk from the Human Milk Bank.

Human Milk Banks are comprised of systems and processes that recruit breastmilk donors, collect donated milk, and then process, screen, pasteurize, store, and distribute the milk to infants in need.

Out of the 27 Human Milk Banks in the Philippines, 26 are part of hospitals, while the Makati Human Milk Bank is community-based. The Makati Human Milk Bank was established in 2013 with the support of Makati’s city government and relies on donations from mothers in the community for its supply of breastmilk.

In August 2019, Mary Sol and her infant son came to the Makati Human Milk Bank to donate her breastmilk.

Since it’s her first time donating milk, Mary Sol needs to undergo a donor screening, including a physical examination, an interview about her medical history to ensure the mother is free from infectious diseases, and counseling on the importance of her donation.

Assisted by staff, Mary Sol expresses her breastmilk for donation after washing her hands and cleaning her breasts. She can choose to express her milk manually or using breast pumps.

In 2019, the Makati bank collected nearly 150,000 ml of breastmilk from 560 donors, who can express milk in the facility with the help of staff or in their homes. The milk bank also partners with health centers, hospitals, and communities to mobilize donations.

Breastmilk from the Makati Human Milk Bank is only allowed for clinical use and requires a prescription from children’s pediatricians. Priority is given to preterm, post-surgical, or critically ill newborns. Mothers who can are encouraged to feed their children by their own milk.

Staff at Makati Human Milk Bank interview the caregiver of a breastmilk recipient. Those who pick up the milk are required to use coolers or insulated packs to ensure safe transport.

Doctor Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital Human Milk Bank, located in Manila, is among the first fully operational Human Milk Banks in the country. About 95% of the milk pasteurized there is distributed to recipients in different hospitals across the country or families affected by disasters. Recently, pasteurized breastmilk was provided to mothers with infants in evacuation centers during the eruption of the Taal Volcano in January 2020.

“The Human Milk Bank in Doctor Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital has served hundreds of infants through the years. Human Milk Banks’ purpose is not just limited to the provision of safe breastmilk, but also fosters awareness on the importance of breastfeeding and breastmilk donation. Human Milk Banks protect, promote and support breastfeeding,” says Dr. Estrella Olonan-Jusi, the hospital's Human Milk Bank coordinator.

Donor milk can act as a bridge toward mothers’ goals to exclusively breastfeed her baby if their milk supply is delayed.

In the hospital, mothers are given breastfeeding counseling and support to successfully nurse their babies on their own.

A nurse counsels a mother on proper latching position.

Mothers or families with preterm or low birthweight babies are encouraged to practice Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) or skin-to-skin contact with their children for at least 20 continuous hours per day. Studies show that continuous KMC can increase rates of exclusive breastfeeding by 50%.

The Doctor Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital is designated by the Manila Provincial Department of Health as the country’s leading training institution on Human Milk Banking. The hospital follows strict screening, selecting, pasteurizing procedures, and risk management to ensure that breastmilk donations are safe.

Containers of raw donated milk are properly labeled before storage. Raw milk is pooled and screened with microbial tests. Qualified raw milk is then poured into containers and labeled, awaiting pasteurization to eliminate microorganisms and extend its shelf-life.

Before storing in the -20 °C freezer, the pasteurized breastmilk is labeled with the batch number and freeze date.

Since 2009, a Human Milk Bank has also operated in the Philippine General Hospital, the largest government hospital in the country, which serves thousands of vulnerable infants each year.

Mothers donate milk to the Human Milk Bank.

“My son had to stay in the NICU and was intubated right after birth because he had pneumonia. The trained nurses fed my son with my breastmilk because he could not breastfeed directly. But I was not producing enough milk yet, so they also gave him pasteurized human milk from the Human Milk Bank. I am so happy that The Philippine General Hospital has a milk bank supplying babies in need. I eventually produced enough breastmilk and I am still breastfeeding now that my son is sixteen months old,” says Lorevell, whose son Nathaniel benefitted from the Human Milk Bank.

Human Milk Banking is a humane act, bringing hope and opportunities to at-risk children.

The success of these Human Milk Banks in the Philippines is thanks to the contribution of so many mothers who have shared their expressed breastmilk as well as their love for other mothers and premature sick infants. Every drop really does make a difference.

Alive & Thrive has worked with Human Milk Banking experts to develop the minimum standards for Human Milk Banking in countries in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. Our vision is for all infants to have equitable, safe access to human milk, through the protection and promotion of breastfeeding and use of pasteurized donor human milk. Learn more about A&T's work with Human Milk Banks here.

Parents with their new baby that has benefitted from the Human Milk Bank.
The Alive & Thrive initiative, managed by FHI Solutions, is currently funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Irish Aid, the Tanoto Foundation, UNICEF, and the World Bank.

Photo credit: Giacomo Pirozzi | Alive & Thrive

Created By
Mackenzie Mayo
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