Delhi's first pasteurised human milk bank opened

The first pasteurised human milk bank in Delhi and National Capital Region was on Tuesday opened at Fortis La Femme in New Delhi.

The 'Amaara' Milk Bank, set up in collaboration between Fortis La Femme, a specialised hospital for women and newborns in New Delhi, and non-profit organisation Breast Milk Foundation, will make pasteurised human milk available to infants.

"India faces its own set of unique health challenges, one of them being the high vulnerability associated with pre-term babies who are significantly under-weight. Providing human breast milk to these fragile neonates can substantially cut the risk of infection and help save their lives.

"Keeping in mind the physiological inability of the mother in many cases to breast feed, human milk banks assume great importance," Fortis Healthcare CEO Bhavdeep Singh said in a statement. Although human milk banking is a common practice globally, only 14 such banks exist in India, as per the Indian Academy of Paediatrics. This initiative is in line with the World Health Organisations' Millennium Development Goals to reduce the Infant Mortality Rate.