UP: Mothers Can Donate Breast Milk Under Kangaroo Mother Care Scheme

The Department of Pediatrics at Kanpur's Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital has set up a Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) where lactating mothers can donate their breast milk for infants who have no access to breastmilk.

A Breast Milk Management Bank where mothers can donate their milk, they do not need to dry them up. Just like we donate blood or organs, milk donation will be started in the same process. This will be a revolution for Kanpur

What is the Kangaroo Mother Care Project (KMC)?

Kangaroo Mother Care Project (KMC), is an innovative method that increases survival chances for underdeveloped, underweight and premature newborns. It is a simple technique, where the mother holds her newborn to her chest (>20 hours a day) and breastfeeds it. This skin on skin contact and the nutritive qualities of mother’s milk, together, have proven to relax hyperventilation, bring down hypothermia (increase body temperature) and keep the child away from infections.

KMC can help in bringing down the infant mortality rate by 25%. It was also identified as a preferable measure in increasing the survival rates of newborns in the India Newborn Action Plan, 2014.

Benefits of KMC

Since the beginning of this initiative, more than 36,587 newborns have received the life saving benefits of KMC. Uttar Pradesh has witnessed many unbelievable yet amazing stories of transformation experienced by facility administrators, doctors, nurses and families.

The care units are clean, air conditioned, respectful towards mothers and are available in most government hospitals for free. These have also worked in altering the perception of the health care for mothers and infants.

Designed to be adapted to local conditions, it provides guidance on how to organize services at the referral level and on what is needed to provide effective kangaroo mother care. The guide includes practical advice on when and how the kangaroo-mother-care method can best be applied.