The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (March 30) that the Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank (HKBMB) has commenced the second phase of service to distribute donor breast milk to premature or critically ill newborns, thereby establishing a protective barrier for their health by providing adequate comprehensive nutrition and preventing infections and complications.
The Director of the HKBMB, Dr Rosanna Wong, stated, "Since its inception on January 6 this year, the HKBMB has been receiving positive feedback and support from society. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated mothers for registering as breast milk donors. As of March 28, over 160 mothers have successfully registered as breast milk donors, and the HKBMB has collected around 550 litres of breast milk."
Dr Wong elaborated that processed donor breast milk has been supplied to nine public hospitals with Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). NICU medical teams will prescribe donor breast milk based on the clinical condition of the newborns and will continuously monitor their conditions to adjust the necessary breast milk intake to ensure optimal nutrition.
The HKBMB aims to collect approximately 1,000 litres of breast milk each year, benefiting between 450 to 600 premature or critically ill newborns. Dr Wong emphasised that breast milk donors have to be currently lactating, and their babies have to be under 1 year old, therefore, continuous donor recruitment is crucial to maintain the ongoing service of the HKBMB. She urged members of the public to actively promote and support breastfeeding, and encouraged mothers to become breast milk donors to give the gift of life to newborns in need.
The HKBMB has set up a breast milk donation service counter on the ground floor lobby of Tower B of Hong Kong Children's Hospital, offering the latest information, counselling and breastfeeding support. The public can also visit the HKBMB website (www.ha.org.hk/hkch/hkbmb) for further details and to register as breast milk donors. Relevant pamphlets are also available at the Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Paediatrics Departments in public hospitals, as well as Maternal and Child Health Centres under the Department of Health.
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