Hyderabad, Nov 16 : Commemorating the ‘World Prematurity Day’ on Thursday, Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday launched an exclusive ‘Human Milk Bank’ at KIMS Cuddles in Kondapur here.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor appreciated the efforts of the hospital, whose initiative will save over 400 preterm (prematurely born) babies.

Dr Aparna C, Clinical Director, Neonatology and Pediatrics, KIMS Cuddles said that the good sign is that when mother’s milk is inaccessible, especially for a premature baby, donor human milk is the next best option.

“KIMS Cuddles has created such a bank to achieve one hundred per cent human milk feeding in preterm very low-weight neonates. As part of our regimen, our trained staff screens the donor mothers, counsel them appropriately, screen them for infections, collect milk, pasteurize, screen and distribute milk for babies in dire need,” she said.

“Our neonatal unit at KIMS Cuddles caters to nearly 150 newborn babies each month, including intramural and extramural births. Our estimates are that up to 20-25 per cent of these admissions are preterm neonates less than 34 weeks gestation. These are the babies who can only be fed mother’s milk. As most of the sick newborns and premature babies do not get Mothers Own Milk (MoM) in the first week of life, human milk banks are a boon for them,” she said.

The statistics are rather grim even at the national level. According to official data, premature births have been increasing every year. India reports 24 million births each year, of which 3.5 million are preterm births. Nearly 0.76 million babies die in the immediate new-born period. India shares the highest global burden of neonatal births and mortality.

According to medical experts, early and exclusive breast milk, MoM is the single most important intervention, which can reduce mortality and morbidities in such vulnerable neonates. It contains all the vital nutrients and growth factors that a baby needs for optimal physical and mental growth.

Dr Bhaskar Rao, Managing Director, KIMS Hospitals was also present on the occasion, a hospital release said.