At the Mulhouse maternity ward, little Louis is in an incubator. He is a very premature baby born at 34 weeks. A nasogastric tube feeds it. In the tube is injected the milk of his mother but also, sometimes, that of other women who donate. “Mothers who give birth to premature babies are in complicated emotional situations. Stress can delay the milk coming in. Sometimes they just don’t want to breastfeed. They are separated from their baby, it’s less easy. So, indeed , donations make it possible to compensate for this”, reports Doctor Charlotte Le Chatelier, head of the neonatology department at Mulhouse hospital.
A free and anonymous gesture of solidarity which contributes to reducing the health problems often encountered in babies born prematurely. Rich in nutritional qualities, protective against infections, breast milk is a real medicine for these particularly fragile newborns.
Tracy Reignier is one of the donors of the Mulhouse hospital lactarium. She fills the vials at home and stores them in her freezer, waiting for health personnel to come and collect them. This young mother, who is breastfeeding her fourth child, did not hesitate to donate her surplus milk. “My third child is a premature baby. He also benefited from donations. When my daughter arrived, we contacted the milk bank and made donations from the start”, she says.
Once collected by the milk bank, the milk is pasteurized to prevent the transmission of bacteria. Every donation, however small, is crucial because it will feed a baby for several days. Premature babies consume very small quantities. “The very premature begins his diet with 10 milliliters a day. Small donations are therefore welcome”, testifies Christine Menegazzo, childcare worker and lactation consultant. At the Poitiers hospital, the stocks of breast milk are, in this month of October, at their lowest. A call for donations has been launched in order to avoid buying from other milk banks.
30th World Breastfeeding Week, until October 23, 2022