Community solidarity has enabled the Breast Milk Bank at the Hospital Universitario Materno Infantil de Canarias to collect 515 liters of breast milk. This initiative, launched in November 2023, has involved 133 women and benefited 173 babies admitted to the Neonatology unit.
One of the donors, Maryam Hernández, 28, emphasizes the importance of this altruistic gesture. "If I couldn't feed my own baby with breast milk, I would want her to receive it from a donor mother," explains Hernández, who reserves a portion of her milk for other newborns. The idea of donating arose after learning about similar experiences on social media and through her sister's testimony, whose daughter was admitted to Neonatology.
“"It is very beautiful for me to help other children who could be my own children"
The Breast Milk Bank, located on the third floor of the Edificio del Mar, processes the donated milk to distribute it among newborns who need it. Dr. Lourdes Urquía, a neonatologist and head of the bank, details that the objective is to ensure access to breast milk for premature or vulnerable babies, especially those under 1,500 grams or 32 weeks gestation, whose mothers cannot breastfeed them.
Breast milk, even pasteurized, offers significant benefits such as reducing intestinal complications, decreasing infections, and improving digestive tolerance compared to formula milk. Usual recipients are premature babies, but it also includes newborns with heart conditions, those who have undergone abdominal surgery, or those in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
The donation process includes an interview and tests to ensure the health of the donors and the safety of the product. Each donation is analyzed individually to determine its nutritional composition and is pasteurized while maintaining strict traceability. By law, the process is anonymous, but the bank informs donors about the amount of milk contributed and the babies they have helped.
Sara Sahmani, mother of a baby admitted to Neonatology, expressed her gratitude for the service. "I am very grateful, even though we only had to use the service for a few days," she stated, adding that if her milk production increases, she would like to donate.
The hospital complex reminds that the administration of donated milk is always done under medical prescription and with the informed consent of the families, creating an essential network of care for the most vulnerable newborns.
