Pumpathon supports World Breastfeeding Week

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According to Save the Children's State of the World's Mothers 2013 report, every year as many as 7,500 babies in South Africa die the same day they are born. However, if more women donated breast milk, it could help to significantly increase the chance of survival for micro premature infants (weighing less than 800 grams or being born before 26 weeks gestation) who do not have access to their mother's own milk.

Backed by Netcare, SABR's 'Feed for Life' initiative follows a model that encourages Public-Private Synergy (PPS) for the benefit of infants in both public and private hospital care. The initiative promotes the in-hospital harvesting of healthy donor breastmilk, as this life saving resource remains largely untapped - a concept that is feasible for both public and private healthcare facilities. Hospitals partaking in the 'Feed for Life' initiative not only initiated breastmilk banking, but also increased the usage of 'mother's-own-milk' within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and the promotion of breastfeeding throughout maternity wards as well as antenatally.

To ensure efficient and effective use of donor breast milk as well as fair and equitable access for all infants in private and public care, the SABR Medical Advisory Board has designed strict guidelines for the use of donor breast milk in NICUs.

Should you wish to donate breast milk, you can participate in SABR's Pumpathon on Friday, 2 August and Saturday, 3 August 2013. This event will take place at SABR's milk bank at Kimberley Hospital, Du Toitspan Road, Belgravia, Kimberley. Alternatively visit the following Netcare hospitals, which run breast milk banks: Netcare Olivedale Hospital in Randburg; Netcare Femina Hospital in Arcadia, Pretoria; Netcare Park Lane Hospital in Parktown, Johannesburg; Netcare N17 Hospital in Springs; Netcare Parklands Hospital in Overport, Durban; Netcare Ferncrest Hospital in Rustenburg; Netcare The Bay Hospital in Richards Bay; Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital in Cape Town; and Netcare Cuyler Hospital in Uitenhage.