‘Gift of life’: Hong Kong breast milk bank collects over 300 litres
More donations needed to reach aim of collecting 1,000 litres annually to help 450 to 600 premature and critically ill newborns
Hong Kong’s first breast milk bank, which provides for newborns requiring intensive care at public hospitals, has collected more than 300 litres (79.3 gallons) from over 100 donors since launching in January.
Director Dr Rosanna Wong Ming-sum of the Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank said on Sunday donor numbers were “beyond expectations”, but appealed for more for what she called the “gift of life.”
The bank has started distributing donated milk to newborns at all nine of the Hospital Authority’s neonatal intensive care units.
“The first priority of using this milk are those babies who are born under 32 weeks of gestation, or with a birthweight less than 1.5kg [3.3lbs],” Wong said.
“Other babies who require the milk will be those who have severe diseases like congenital heart disease, or after a gastrointestinal operation.”
She added that if the bank could collect more donations, milk could be given to less premature babies or even full-term babies with special needs.