Lactating mother’s were urged to continuously breastfeed their babies especially at this time of pandemic Coronavirus Disease 2019.
Dr. Cesar Jeffrey Masilungan, head of the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) Human Milk Bank who is also a neonatologist said that “More than ever breastfeeding is important aside from the nutritional benefits it provides protection from diseases including Covid-19.
He explained that antibodies to Covid-19 are found in breastmilk to protect especially babies.
Even before the pandemic, breastfeeding is already being recommend by the pediatricians from birth to two years of age.
Breastfeeding is important as this will boost the baby’s immune system, it will strengthen the mother and child bond, and it will address the economic problem since there will be no need to buy commercial milk.
Meanwhile, for the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) Human Milk Bank they temporarily stopped the milk letting due to the pandemic. They limit their donors from mothers at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and private donors.
Before the pandemic they were collecting 3,000 to 6,000 cc of milk per week now it’s down to 2,000 to 3,000 cc of milk.
Since the pandemic, there is no direct contact with our mother donors. They are instructed virtually online on how to collect and store then breastmilk is being pick up from their houses.
The milk collected passed the process pasteurization at the milk bank to kill viruses and bacteria and it is being stored inside the freezer then given to the beneficiaries.
They have a decrease collection of breast milk however the demand also decreased because inpatient deliveries decreased by 50 percent. From an average of 700 to 800 deliveries now it’s down to 200 to 300 deliveries a month.
Because of these, the admitted patient at NICU also decreased. Beneficiaries of the breast milk are the sick babies in the ZCMC NICU.
For those interested healthy lactating mothers who wanted to donate their breast milk this pandemic, they can contact through Facebook page ZCMC Human Milk Bank. (R.G Antonet Go)