Basel: “Every drop counts” – only mothers can donate here

2023-11-04 06:11:54

Published4. November 2023, 04:25

Basel: “Every drop counts” – only mothers can donate here

Not all mothers can breastfeed their newborns themselves. The University Children’s Hospital in Basel ensures the supply of milk with a human milk bank. The need is currently very high.

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Not all mothers can provide their newborns with their own breast milk. This is where the Lactarium of the University Children’s Hospital in Basel steps into the breach.

Instagram/iNurseUKBB

The first human milk bank in Switzerland was established in the University Children’s Hospital in Basel in 1938. Mothers can donate their excess milk there.

Instagram/iNurseUKBB

“The frequency of donations cannot be set across the board,” confirms the head of neonatology. Nevertheless, there are currently enough donations, but there have also been times when it has become scarcer.

UKBB

That’s what it’s about

At the UKBB Lactarium, women can come to donate breast milk and donate excess breast milk.

The milk can be used to feed premature babies or sick children whose mothers cannot breastfeed themselves.

In a new Instagram video, the UKBB explains the process from donation to delivery.

The University Children’s Hospital of Basel (UKBB) regularly reports on everyday clinical life on Instagram. In their latest article, the UKBB’s iNurses, the so-called Lactarium, are the names of the social media nurses at the hospital’s human milk bank.

Since not every mother is able to breastfeed her baby with breast milk, the UKBB founded Switzerland’s first human milk bank in 1938. There, mothers who produce enough milk for their own child can donate excess milk, which in turn can be given to sick or premature children. “Milk donation is valuable support for babies whose mothers cannot produce enough breast milk,” explains the head of neonatology at UKBB. Providing children with breast milk early on is essential because it puts less strain on the digestive system and contains many important defenses and protective substances that ensure the child’s healthy growth.

Different milk for premature and term babies

Before the milk can be given to the children, it has to go through a few processes. “Handling is subject to similarly strict criteria as the management of blood reserves,” says the article. After it has been microbiologically examined and then pasteurized at 62.5 degrees for 30 minutes, it either goes directly to the children or is cooled or frozen until the next use.

The milk differs between preterm and term milk. Preterm milk is only given to children under 32 weeks and covers the needs of premature babies. Preterm milk comes from mothers who donate milk up to the fourth week after birth. Term milk is intended for children born at term and includes donations received from the fourth week to the sixth month after the birth of the child.

Who can donate?

According to the director, the number of donations varies. «It is important to note that the frequency of donations cannot be set across the board. The need for milk donations varies greatly and often depends on many factors. The need is currently very high and there are sufficient milk donations. But there are also times when milk donations are scarcer. These fluctuations are completely normal.”

Women who have enough breast milk for their own child and who also produce more than 200 milliliters of excess milk are eligible to donate. “Both mothers and external donors are only allowed to donate if they can ensure that there is enough milk for their own child. This ensures that your child’s needs always come first.”

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