The Human Milk Bank from the Banc de Sang i Teixits (a public company of the Departament de Salut of Catalonia) aims to ensure that human milk is available to all premature babies who cannot be breastfed by their mothers. The Human Milk Bank collects milk from donor mothers, processes it in a safe and high-quality manner and supplies it to the neonatology units of hospital centres.
The Catalonia's Human Milk Bank is a centre specialised in the collection, analysis, processing, distribution and supply of human milk, with the aim of ensuring the feeding of all premature or newborn babies in Catalonia who need this milk by medical prescription and who, for major reasons, cannot be breastfed by their mothers.
The Banc de Llet guarantees that the selection, extraction, acceptance and analysis of the milk is carried out efficiently and following specific safety controls.
Why is human milk so important?
Human milk is the best food a baby can receive, it is much more complete than any other alternative. It is the natural food produced by the mother and contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates and other very important components that guarantee and protect the infant from the most common illnesses, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia... in addition, it is also beneficial for neurological and visual development.
The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life because it provides nutritional and immunological benefits for proper growth and development.