HYDERABAD: With only 37.1 per cent of babies breastfed in the first one hour in Telangana state (NFHS-4), there is an urgent need to appoint more lactation counsellors across hospitals in Telangana.
Dhaatri Mothers Milk Bank, the first human milk bank set up in Telangana at Niloufer Hospital is pushing for the same. The bank that started its operations in January has so far transacted 57,708 ml of milk helping those babies in need of mother’s milk. While most know it as a bank that stores human milk for those babies in need, the bank’s activities include many more.
“This is a case of concern and the milk bank aims to spread awareness about the importance of mothers feeding their babies,” said Dr Santosh Kumar Kraleti, executive director of the milk bank. The state has come a long way in encouraging mothers to undergo institutional deliveries. Now the challenge is to make them breastfeed in the first half an hour, he added. The bank currently has two lactation counsellors who begin with the ante-natal ward where they take turns to explain to mothers who are ready to deliver about the importance of breastfeeding, especially within the first one hour.
“We also educate them about the availability of the bank where, in case of excessive flow of milk, it can be stored for their use or for other babies in need,” said V Swaroopa, one of the counsellors. Santosh Kumar says that there is a need for at least 40 counsellors across the maternity and children’s hospitals in the city. Through counselling and the bank, they are also working to bust myths about breastfeeding.
“Mothers are often told by their mothers and mothers-in-law that the colostrum needs to be discarded. Our counselling aims at educating about this,” said Divya Sree.