THE provincial health department says Covid-19 has impacted the influx of donated breast milk.
This as the George Hospital yesterday said its milk bank had run out of donor milk.
Allida Portland, operational manager at the hospital’s neonatal unit, said: “There is a constant need for breast milk donations as there is a possibility that a mother may need to go into isolation and her baby will have to be dependent on donor milk.”
Donor milk benefits babies weighing less than 1.5kg at birth, babies of mothers with limited breast milk as well as premature twins and triplets of mothers who are unable to meet their infants’ nutritional requirements.
Provincial health department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said Covid-19 restrictions resulted in public banks having to buy donated expressed milk from private milk banks or request support from other public banks.
“Under normal circumstances, human breast milk that is donated to a bank in a public health facility was taken to the respective health facilities where the screening and tests and procedures will be done.
“The restriction has thus impacted the volume of milk in the human milk bank.”
“Mothers who are unwell or have confirmed Covid-19 may also continue breastfeeding while taking safety precautions,” he said.
Mothers can donate breast milk to milk banks by contacting the milk bank to drop off or arrange for the milk to be collected. Mothers can contact George Hospital’s neonatal unit on 044 802 4577/4578.
Cape Times