India Establishes 102 Centres to Support Newborn Health with Donor Milk

The Government of India has launched 102 Comprehensive Lactation Management Centres and Lactation Management Units to provide safe, pasteurized donor human milk for sick, preterm, and low birth weight babies. This initiative aims to improve health outcomes for newborns admitted to intensive care units.

In a major initiative to enhance newborn health, the Government of India has set up 102 Comprehensive Lactation Management Centres (CLMC) and Lactation Management Units (LMU) nationwide. These centres are designed to ensure the availability of safe, pasteurized donor human milk and facilitate the expression of mothers' own milk for sick, preterm, and low birth weight babies in intensive care units.

Breast milk is essential for newborn development, providing critical nutrients and protection against illnesses like pneumonia, diarrhea, and chronic diseases such as asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, and heart conditions in later life. For critically ill newborns in intensive care, access to breast milk can be life-saving, aiding in early initiation and exclusive feeding, and preventing prematurity-related complications such as late-onset sepsis, broncho-pulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and retinopathy.

The Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, revealed this information in a written response in the Lok Sabha today. Reports from the States and Union Territories for the fiscal year 2023-24 indicate that 52 Comprehensive Lactation Management Centres and 50 Lactation Management Units are currently operational across the nation. (ANI)