Essential food for newborns, breast milk is low in the stocks of the Human Milk Banks (BLH) of the Fernandes Figueira National Institute of Women’s, Child and Adolescent Health (IFF/Fiocruz), in Rio de Janeiro, and in banks across the country. The amount of human milk collected and the number of donors are declining. The data generated an alert by the institution, which launched a program to increase donations.
According to the IFF/Fiocruz, the fall in stock usually takes place from December to February, since, due to the period of end-of-year festivities and vacations, many donors travel with their families. This year, however, the decline occurs sooner than expected.
The latest data show that, in Brazil, there were 15,600 donors in October, 1.2 thousand less than in September and 1.5 thousand below the level registered in August. In relation to the amount collected, there were 19,800 liters in October. The amount was 13.3 thousand liters below that collected in September and 1.7 thousand less than the total donated in August.
The Brazilian Network of Human Milk Banks includes 223 Human Milk Banks and 211 Human Milk Collection Points.
At IFF/Fiocruz, there were 218 donors in August. It rose to 208 in September and dropped even further in October, when it reached only 178 infants. The institute received 325 liters in the eighth month of the year, 247 in the ninth, and saw the total drop to 212 in the tenth. The number is below the minimum required threshold of 250 liters.
Below average
The drop in the number of donors and donated milk was also observed in the stocks of the Reference Center for Human Milk Banks at IFF/Fiocruz, in Rio de Janeiro. In October this year, there were 178 donors, compared to 208 in September and 218 in August.
IFF/Fiocruz received 212 liters of breast milk in October, 247 in September and 325 in August. The number is below the average considered by Fiocruz as ideal, which would be 250 liters in stock per month.
Fiocruz warns that, especially in the case of premature newborns hospitalized in intensive care units, who are unable to suck milk directly from the breast, the alternative is precisely to receive donated milk.
In addition, the institution highlights that the substance, as it contains essential nutrients and antibodies for the development of babies, protects against allergies and diseases during childhood and adulthood.
According to Antônio Meirelles, director of the IFF/Fiocruz, any excess milk is already enough to be donated.
“We, parents who have been following the breastfeeding process of our children, know that while the mother breastfeeds the baby, a little bit of milk runs on the other breast in the form of droplets, and these droplets are enough to feed and leave a Satisfied premature newborn. Just collect them in the glass vial and refrigerate”, he highlights.
Danielle Aparecida da Silva, coordinator of the IFF/Fiocruz milk bank, explains how the storage process is carried out. “When the milk arrives at our bank, it undergoes processing, quality control and only then will it be offered to premature newborns admitted to a NICU and who, for some reason, cannot suck directly from the breast ”, he says.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that, during the first six months of life, babies are exclusively breastfed. The united nations health agency expects that, by 2030, 70% of children around the world will be fed exclusively this way during this stage of life.
According to the National Study of Infant Food and Nutrition (Enani-2019), in November, commissioned by the Ministry of Health and coordinated by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), milk bank levels are traditionally low due to small adherence of lactating women: only 4.8% of them adhered to the practice.
The campaign
The “O Melhor Presente” campaign intends to increase its stock of donations to serve newborns admitted to the Neonatal Care Unit (ICU), especially during the holiday and holiday period. Coordinator Danielle Aparecida explains the importance of donation during this period.
“When you make a donation, you give a healthy baby, with adequate food and rich in protective factors. This will allow for an earlier hospital discharge and, who knows, allow this baby to spend Christmas with his family at home”, says the specialist.
To donate to the IFF milk banks, just be a breastfeeding mother and contact the IFF/Fiocruz HMB through WhatsApp: (21) 98508-6576 or telephone: (21) 2554-1703.
Reference: CNN Brasil
