Durango’s Human Milk Bank Among Mexico’s Top 10: Benefits for Premature and Nursing Babies

Daniela Morales / NW Durango

In Mexico, there are 36 Human Milk Banks distributed in 21 entities, and the one in Durango is among the 10 best.
The Milk Bank in the State has a record of just over 700 donors, who in the last five years have benefited premature babies or neonates who require it by medical prescription, mainly at the Torre Materno-Infantil Hospital.

The Ministry of Health calls for the promotion of lactation and donation of human milk to reduce the mortality of premature or nursing babies.
In addition, they establish that it is a link to face poverty, rule out hunger among children, maintain good health and well-being, “zero hunger and zero malnutrition in infants.”
Irasema Kondo, Secretary of Health, emphasized that breastfeeding is the appropriate and natural way to provide nutritional, immunological and emotional support to the baby, since it provides all the nutrients and antibodies that will keep it healthy, without forgetting that it will allow it to create strong emotional bond with the mother.
In this regard, the person in charge of the Human Milk Bank of the HMI, Micaela Rosales Ontiveros, explained that there are 2 types of donors; those who have their baby hospitalized and external donors who are at home and can donate milk. For this, the mothers must be healthy, so tests are done to ensure that they do not have infections, that they do not have tattoos or piercings in the last 6 months.
It should be noted that milk undergoes a process called pasteurization, in order to ensure that they do not have any risk or infections for consumption by babies.
Regarding the benefits that the mother receives, breastfeeding helps the uterus or womb to contract rapidly, which reduces bleeding after childbirth, helps her lose the weight gained during pregnancy, since the accumulated fat is used as energy to produce milk, and time is saved because food is always available, coupled with the prevention of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
“It is important that they know about this milk bank, that we have a good influx of donors, and that countless children have been fed, helping them to return home healthier, in less time,” he concluded.