'Amrit Kosh': Nepal's first-ever human milk bank for at-risk infants

The first-ever human milk bank in the Himalayan country of Nepal was opened by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Friday at a maternity and women's hospital. The goal of the bank is to provide premature and other at-risk newborns with access to the major advantages of breast milk when they most need it.

According to hospital officials, "Amrit Kosh," the human milk bank, has the resources to collect, pasteurise, test, and store safe donor human milk from breastfeeding moms before giving it to newborns in need. The European Union, UNICEF, and the Government of Nepal have collaborated to establish the centre.

"Premature, low birthweight, and small for gestational age babies are vulnerable in terms of survival and cognitive development and usually have feeding problems due to their medical conditions," said Prof. Director of Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital, Dr. Amir Babu Shrestha.

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According to a press release from UNICEF Nepal, the milk bank is a critical step in developing baby-friendly healthcare systems and enables early, lower birth weight, and other at-risk newborns access to the extensive advantages of breast milk when they require it the most.

All around the world, nearly 15 million premature infants are born each year all around the world. An estimated 81,000 early newborns are born in lower-middle-income nations like Nepal. The first month of a baby's life is when they are most at risk of passing away, and premature and low-birth-weight babies are at much higher risk.

The newborn mortality rate (number of deaths per 1,000 live births during the first 28 days of life) in Nepal is 16, as reported by the Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (NMICS) 2019 .

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Likewise, the infant mortality rate (number of deaths per 1000 live births that are under 1 year of age) is 25, and the under-five fatality rate is 28 per 1000 births. "Human breast milk contains the best source of nutrition and ensures survival and healthy growth of babies. It bolsters brain development and has lifelong benefits for the baby and the mother," noted Dr Bibek Kumar Lal, Director, Family Welfare Division, Ministry of Health and Population.

Antibodies produced in human breast milk are unique and cannot be found elsewhere. According to experts, exclusive breastfeeding has the potential to avert 13% of under-five deaths worldwide each year. Exclusive breastfeeding and early breastfeeding beginning during the first hour of birth can prevent 22% of newborn deaths worldwide.

According to NMICS 2019, just 62% of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed in Nepal, while only 42% of infants under two years old are breastfed within an hour of delivery.

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(With inputs from PTI)