milk for newborns in the hospital
milk for newborns in the hospital
When a mom is unable to breastfeed a newborn in the hospital in Finland they give the baby breastmilk "donated" from another woman rather than formula. I was thinking, for example, if you have hepatitus it can be transferred via breastmilk. Diet affects milk quality and I would assume medications you take would also affect the milk etc. How do they determine who can give milk and are they screened in any way?
Different milks
Hello!
There is a screening system and the donor milk is tested for bacteria. The donor also has to present a recent negative result from an HIV test. There is further an interview with various questions on the donor's lifestyle etc. I presume this would include questions on medication, diet and other important factors.
The hospital staff must ask whether the mother prefers donor milk or formula if this is needed. Donor milk might be preferable but then again the baby recognizes the milk it gets so this may be an issue if donor mik feeding is for longer term. There are also breastpumps available so if the feeding in itself is difficult one can still give one's own milk.
Marianne
There is a screening system and the donor milk is tested for bacteria. The donor also has to present a recent negative result from an HIV test. There is further an interview with various questions on the donor's lifestyle etc. I presume this would include questions on medication, diet and other important factors.
The hospital staff must ask whether the mother prefers donor milk or formula if this is needed. Donor milk might be preferable but then again the baby recognizes the milk it gets so this may be an issue if donor mik feeding is for longer term. There are also breastpumps available so if the feeding in itself is difficult one can still give one's own milk.
Marianne
In short: A milk donor does not smoke or use any medications. If she has to take medication, while she is having it, she cannot donate (or sell) milk. Her blood is tested for HIV, and every milk parcel´s bacteria is tested. If there are impurities, the donor is informed and the milk is not used.Äidinmaitoa voi luovuttaa äiti, joka ei tupakoi eikä käytä lääkkeitä säännöllisesti. Jos luovutuksen aikana joutuu lääkekuurille, pidetään luovutuksessa tauko. Vuorokauden kuluttua lääkityksen loppumisesta voidaan aloittaa luovutus uudelleen.
* Luovutuksen alkaessa veren seerumista otetaan HIV-vasta-aineet ja jokaisesta maitoerästä bakteeriviljely. Jos näytteissä on epäpuhtauksia, ilmoitetaan siitä luovuttajalle ja käyttökelvottomat poistetaan.
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Amandine.K
- Posts: 872
- Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:40 am
- Location: Helsinki
Wow I didn't know that mums were given the choice between formulas or donated breastmilk.
In France only preterm babies have donated breastmilk if the mother can't or choose not to breastfeed. The price per litre is very very high as for the milk to be accepted by the lactarium there are a lot of tests that needs to be taken but also the "storage" method.
In France only preterm babies have donated breastmilk if the mother can't or choose not to breastfeed. The price per litre is very very high as for the milk to be accepted by the lactarium there are a lot of tests that needs to be taken but also the "storage" method.
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Meri-Tuuli
- Posts: 355
- Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:25 pm
- Location: Finlandia
Well it seems this practice has been going on for some years in Finland.....
My Finnish mother (having had already two children in Finland) gave birth to me in the UK in 1980 - and for reasons I won't go into here, I was whisked off to another hospital and my poor mum has left with her new breastmilk. She offered it up to the maternity hospital, and legend has it, they thought she was mad. So she had to throw her lovely new breastmilk out. She said it was common practice in Finland to give it up to be used for another baby, and said that the first breastmilk is particulary sought after.
Well. Perhaps the Finns are on to something - they have one of the very lowest infant mortality rates in the world! Lower than the UK, for example.
My Finnish mother (having had already two children in Finland) gave birth to me in the UK in 1980 - and for reasons I won't go into here, I was whisked off to another hospital and my poor mum has left with her new breastmilk. She offered it up to the maternity hospital, and legend has it, they thought she was mad. So she had to throw her lovely new breastmilk out. She said it was common practice in Finland to give it up to be used for another baby, and said that the first breastmilk is particulary sought after.
Well. Perhaps the Finns are on to something - they have one of the very lowest infant mortality rates in the world! Lower than the UK, for example.