Latest news with #MilkBank
NDTV
4 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
Tamil Nadu Woman Donates 300 Litres Of Breast Milk, Helps Over 1000 Babies
Tamil Nadu: A 33-year-old homemaker from Kattur in Tiruchirappalli district here has donated over 300 litres of breast milk, helping save the lives of thousands of premature and critically ill infants, officials said. Selva Brindha, a mother of two, donated a total of 300.17 litres over 22 months—from April 2023 to February 2025—to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) Milk Bank. Her contribution accounted for nearly half of the total breast milk collected by the milk bank during the 2023-24 period, a hospital official said. Encouraged by a non-governmental organisation, Brindha's consistent service earned her a place in both the 'Asia Book of Records' and the 'India Book of Records'. In recognition of her remarkable contribution, officials at the milk bank will felicitate her during the valedictory of 'World Breastfeeding Week' on August 7.
Vancouver Sun
19-05-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Surrey nurse on maternity leave donates breast milk to help tiniest patients
Like many expectant moms, Sandeep Thiara-Basi was worried about breastfeeding. The Surrey nurse works in the family birthing unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital and had seen new mothers struggle to get breastfeeding started, even more so when the infants were premature. Would her baby latch properly? Would it be difficult? Would she have enough milk? Breastfeeding was difficult: 'She wouldn't latch, she struggled, got red in the face. She would cry and I was stressed,' said Thiara-Basi. The new mom who, who gave birth to Nyra at Surrey Memorial in September 2024, was desperate. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I went down the Reddit rabbit hole trying to figure out what was wrong.' The reason breastfeeding was challenging for her was the opposite of what she expected: she had so much milk, her newborn simply couldn't manage. She had to switch to bottle-feeding her own breast milk to Nyra, one of the many adjustments breastfeeding mothers can make with the support of their midwife or health care provider. 'The first time I pumped I got two bottles,' said Thiara-Basi. 'It was so much more than she needed.' Her milk was so abundant she filled the family's freezer after just 3 weeks. Thiara-Basi didn't want it to go to waste. That's when she reached out to B.C. Women's Provincial Milk Bank . The B.C. Women's Provincial Milk Bank accepts raw milk donations from nursing mothers, collects, screens, pasteurizes and pools it to distribute to those who need more milk for their infants than they can produce. Many are preemies, whose mothers aren't producing enough. That comforted Thiara-Basi, who had worked with premature infants at Surrey Memorial Hospital. Breast milk offers many benefits to infants, including protection against certain illnesses and diseases, and it lowers the risk of asthma, obesity, Type 1 diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to the CDC . The process was simple. 'I went on the Milk Bank website, put in my information and the next day they called me,' said Thiara-Basi. After the initial call, a nurse went through her health history with her on the phone. She had to get the OK from her family doctor, and go through a short health screening to ensure she was producing enough, and did not have any medical conditions that would prevent her from donating, such as HIV, hepatitis or other communicable diseases. Carrie Stefanson, a spokesperson for Fraser Health, said donations are voluntary and the Milk Bank accepts any amount of appropriately stored milk once the donor has been screened. Some bereaved birth parents choose to donate their milk in honour of their child. Fraser Health participates in the Baby Friendly Initiative, a global initiative developed by the WHO and UNICEF, which provides to support mothers in breastfeeding, including milk donation programs. Human Milk Donation Day, also known as World Donor Milk Day, is celebrated on May 19 to highlight the importance of human milk donors and their contributions to nourishing vulnerable babies, particularly those in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). 'The Baby Friendly Initiative team at Fraser Health is grateful to all milk donors for providing raw human milk donations,' said Stefanson. Seven months after her first donation, Thiara-Basi has donated 100,725 cubic centimetres of milk, over 100 litres. 'My husband is so supportive,' said Thiara-Basi. 'He takes the baby while I pump and sterilize everything.' When she has enough, she packs it in a cooler, and her mother picks it up and drops it off at the nearby public health unit. 'It feels so good to be able to help other families,' said Thiara-Basi. Most importantly, Nyra is thriving and in good health: it's what she hopes for every newborn that receives the milk she donates. For more information about becoming a breast milk donor, or receiving donated breast milk, go to . dryan@
