Cuba has a human milk bank for breastfeeding
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- Published: Thursday, 20 May 2021 15:38
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Havana, May 20.- Cuba has a human milk bank inaugurated at the William Soler Pediatric Hospital in Havana to support, protect and encourage breastfeeding in this country.
According to information released by the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap), this center will be specialized in carrying out activities for the collection of breast milk, its selection, classification, processing, quality control, storage and distribution under medical prescription.
Dr. Pablo Roque, national coordinator of the Breastfeeding Program and Human Milk Bank explained that with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) the Cuban health system has worked intensively to strengthen its network of centers. of this type in the last 15 years.
This network is made up of 14 services distributed in 13 provinces throughout the national territory, which impacts on the reduction of neonatal morbidity and mortality, said the specialist.
He explained that with the launch of this center, the Caribbean nation will initiate lines of work and research such as the use of pasteurized breast milk in patients with surgical intestinal anomalies and in heart disease.
The availability of the precious food will provide this medical institution with optimal nutrition for babies weighing less than 1,500 grams and those requiring primarily intestinal surgery, added Roque.
For his part, the representative of Unicef in Cuba, Brandao Co, highlighted the attention to infants in this country and referred to this human milk bank as an example of promoting the right to health of children, especially of the most vulnerable.
"From Unicef we are very pleased to be able to contribute to the development of this excellent institution and cooperate in improving the quality of medical care for infants," he stressed.
Data from the Minsap indicate that last year the human milk bank system in Cuba benefited 4,476 children in neonatal and pediatric therapies, and assisted more than 42,000 mothers, of which 10,500 became donors, which they contributed 2,179 liters of food. (Cadenagramonte)
