Kenya hopes its first human milk bank will save infants’ lives

Quartz Africa Kenya HNN Team

This article was originally published by Quartz Africa here. By Annabelle Timsit Every morning at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi, a group of new mothers files into a spacious room housing Kenya’s first human milk bank. The room, freshly-painted aqua blue and bustling with nurses, is lined on either side with private lactation booths separated … Continued

Breastfeeding: Banking on breast milk

livemint India HNN Team

This article was originally published on LiveMint here. On 4 April, Shilpa Bharadwaj was admitted to a government hospital in Sanagneri Gate, Jaipur, as soon as she experienced the first twinge of labour pain. Later that day, she delivered a healthy boy. Twelve hours later, she died of complications. Her family, wracked with grief, had … Continued

Kenya’s first human milk bank finally ready to save babies’ lives

Daily Nation Kenya, South Africa, Brazil HNN Team

Had Alice Onyango given birth at another time, things would have been different. She would have had to express milk from her aching engorged breasts – the milk that her preterm baby had no energy to suckle – and pour it down the drain. But the mother of three gave birth last week at Pumwani … Continued

Would you feed your child with another woman’s breast milk?

Standard Media Kenya HNN Team

While wet nursing is not a new phenomenon among Kenyan societies, the concept of pooling milk together in a bank is. Women from religious history would breastfeed the children of other women but this would be directly from the breast. Moses of the Bible times and Prophet Mohammed of the Quran both had wet nurses. … Continued

Donated Human Milk: A Lifesaving Option for Vulnerable Infants

County Innovation Challenge Fund Kenya HNN Team

Kenya loses an estimated 39 infants for every 1000 live births, translating to over 50,000 babies who die before their first birthday each year. More than half of these deaths occur in the neonatal period – the first month of life – most often due to complications related to prematurity and low birth weight[1]. Essential … Continued

Why Are Indian Women Not Breastfeeding

NDTV India HNN Team

India is home to the world’s highest proportion of “small babies” with 46.9 per cent of babies born small for gestational age, contributing to 29 per cent neonatal deaths each year – the most in the world – with prematurity (babies born before 37 weeks) being the leading cause. Ensuring access to human milk is … Continued

Health Expert Commends Ghana For Newborn Action Plan

Ghana HNN Team

The plan seeks to promote innovative ways to strengthen health sector strategies, and outline standards for quality care, measurement of births and deaths.

Exclusive Breastfeeding Can Reduce Nigeria’s Burden Of Infant Mortality

Nigeria, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Malawi, Rwanda HNN Team

“It is not that women don’t understand the value of breastfeeding. Surveys repeatedly show that new mothers across many countries know that breast is best for babies.”