Page 4 - Stories of change PATH

Introduction
Breastfeeding is imperative for a baby’s survival,
health, nutrition, development of trust and
sense of security, and brain development and
learning. Optimal infant and young child feeding
(IYCF) practices, especially early initiation and
exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months,
help ensure newborns the best possible start
to life. Despite known benefits, breastfeeding,
especially exclusive breastfeeding rates, are
low. Faster progress is possible, but it demands
that breastfeeding is supported. These actions
include behavior change communication through
counseling and support during lactation. Mothers
are more likely to breastfeed where breastfeeding
is encouraged, promoted, and supported.
Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal
mortality and morbidity in India and globally.
In India, each year, 3.5 million babies are born
preterm; the highest in the world. India also
has a high number of low-birth weight infants.
Feeding these newborns is fraught with additional
challenges, such as prolonged separation of
mothers and babies, delay in attachment to the
breast, low priority given to breastfeeding by
physicians, and lack of skilled counseling and
hands-on support to mothers to breastfeed
and express milk. Nearly, 71% of all prematurity-
Stories of Change effective interventions such as breastfeeding;
related deaths can be averted using cost-
exclusive human milk feeding; kangaroo mother
care; family participatory care; and infection
4 prevention, early detection, and treatment.
In 2017, the Government of India released
the “National Guidelines on Lactation
Management Centers in Public Health
Facilities” to increase the access to human
milk for all babies. Human milk banks in India are
known as Comprehensive Lactation Management
Centres (CLMCs). CLMCs play an essential role in
providing donor human milk to infants who are
otherwise unable to receive their mothers’ own
milk. These CLMCs collect, screen, store, process,
and dispense donor human milk.
Globally, PATH is working with a vision to ensure
access to human milk for all babies. We, CHRI (a
not-for-profit organization established in India,
affiliated to PATH), have partnered with Philips
India on a project called SNEHI (Strengthening
Newborn Nutrition and Essential Healthcare
Interventions in India). Our efforts are directed
to ensure that effective lactation management
systems are present in every newborn care unit so
that all babies have access to lifesaving human
milk as part of comprehensive newborn care.
‘Stories of Change’ is a booklet highlighting
the experiences of breastfeeding mothers and
CLMC managers, our champions of human
milk donation, who have successfully ensured
the triumphs of exclusive human milk feeding
exclusive breastfeeding. These stories showcase
and hope to inspire our readers to support
breastfeeding and human milk donation.