Hong Kong breast milk bank is best for everyone
- First city collection facility set for launch next year will help babies facing serious health problems and mothers struggling to supply
Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to help ensure babies get a healthy start and even have better chances of survival. Starting and sticking with the routine can be a difficult journey for mothers even in the best of circumstances.
The challenges are often insurmountable when infants are premature or severely ill.
So, it was encouraging to learn that Hong Kong will launch its first breast milk bank by the first quarter of next year. The operation is being set up to collect between 600 and 850 litres each year, enough to help 450 to 600 premature babies annually.
The Hospital Authority has announced that the bank initially set up at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital will expand to offer donation services to nine public hospitals with neonatal intensive care units by the end of 2025.
In cases where babies face serious health problems, mothers often struggle to produce sufficient milk. Currently, carers have no choice but to use a special formula.
Breast milk from other mothers can be a lifesaver for struggling babies. Research has shown it can lower the risk of necrotising enterocolitis, the most common disease among premature infants.
It lowers the chances of late-onset septicaemia and chronic lung disease, and fosters neurological development. Mothers interested in donating will undergo strict screening of their health situation and medical history.
A door-to-door service will be provided to collect donations, which will be tested and pasteurised. Specialists will ensure donors have adequate breast milk for their own infants.
Hong Kong has made progress in creating better conditions for breastfeeding. In 2010, public hospitals stopped accepting free infant formula from manufacturers, boosting the rate of in-hospital exclusive breastfeeding.
However, the city lags behind World Health Organization targets. While nearly 80 per cent of women start out breastfeeding, only 20 per cent were still doing so six months later when most returned to work.
Donation programmes have been successful in many other communities. A recent survey found that more than 70 per cent of pregnant women in Hong Kong hospitals voiced support for donating milk.
It is good to see a programme receive such a caring reaction.
