E-Paper
Sassoon’s milk bank a saviour for newborns
PUNE:The human milk bank at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune turned out to be a life saver for a boy who was born to a Covid-19 positive mother.
PUNE:The human milk bank at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune turned out to be a life saver for a boy who was born to a Covid-19 positive mother.
The child was born on April 16 to a 25-year-old woman who had tested positive for Covid-19, according to a statement issued by the District Information Office, Pune.
After learning about the infection just before the delivery of the child, the family members as well as the doctors were struggling to ensure that the new born child is not affected. The child tested negative for the virus, however, it could not be allowed to go near the Covid-19 positive mother. The mother had come from the Khadki Bazar, said officials.
Dr Aarti Kinikar, head of paediatric department at BJ Government Medical College attached with the Sassoon, said “Multiple babies benefit from the milk bank. We follow due process before accepting the milk. Consent form is filled out. There are very strict criteria’s; if the woman fits it, only then milk is accepted. The milk then undergoes various tests and procedures.”
The feeding is happening through the hospital staff - nurses and doctors - with the consent of the mother and the family members, according to the District Information Office.
The mother herself could not be reached for a comment as she is undergoing treatment for Covid-19.
Another official from the hospital said that the bank which began operations in 2013 gets milk from patients from two other hospitals besides Sassoon. The bank collects excess milk from lactating mothers and stores it for babies who cannot have access to their mother’s milk which could happen for various reasons.
