Kathmandu: A ‘Human Milk Bank’ where breast milk can be stored has been inaugurated at the Paropakar Maternity and Womens’ Hospital in Thapathali, Kathmandu.
On the occasion of the hospital’s 64th anniversary, President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the country’s first human milk bank dubbed ‘Amrit Kosh’ on Friday.
Initially, Amrit Kosh has been established with the aim of providing milk to babies who were born in the maternity home but could not get their mother’s milk due to lack of mother’s milk or other reasons.
To ensure a child-friendly health system, the hospital will provide milk from other mothers when needed for premature, low-weight and other at-risk babies. Earlier, the hospital used to give goat’s milk to the child.
However, the goat’s milk is less healthy for babies.
Every year around 15 million babies are born prematurely around the world. Infants are at the highest risk of death in their first months of life, while premature and low birth weight infants are at even greater risk.