Human Milk Bank: First Standardized Human Milk Bank Opened In Yangon

The First Standardized Human Milk Bank in Myanmar was opened at the Central Women’s Hospital in Yangon, Saturday.

The ceremony aimed to provide human milk to the infants who do not get breast milk due to various reasons.

Medical Superintendent, Central Women’s Hospital (Yangon), Prof. Dr Khine Pyone Kyi said “There will be the room to clean the human milk. We collect the cleaned breast milk and store at the room to feed the infants who need the breast milk. The room must be free from germs and bacteria to store milk.”

A medical officer at the event said they select mothers who are free from HIV, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis diseases for human milk donation. She also added that the breast milk is the best nutrition for the babies and it can protect side-effects from feeding other milk powders.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Central Women’s Hospital (Yangon), Prof. Dr. Nant San San Aye said “Mother, who will donate breast milk, must be healthy and strong. She can feed sufficiently the milk to her baby and the milk must be surplus. Her medical test must be free from HIV, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis diseases and the result must be during 6 months. We select mothers with these criteria for breast milk donation.”

The international standard Human Milk Bank was opened at the Central Women’s Hospital in Yangon 1994. It has been upgraded with the budget of the Ministry of Health and Sports and the contribution of well-wishers in February, 2019.

As of 2015, in cooperating with 20,000 mothers, the Human Milk Bank has been providing about 5,400 liters of breast milk to more than 8000 infants who were born prematurely and have low-birth weight at the Central Women’s Hospital (Yangon).