According to Health Index Report, released by the NITI Aayog in February 2018, 30 babies out of every 1,000 live births die in 1-28 days. As regards nutrition, 39.1% of children are stunted and 23% of children are wasted, as per National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16). Breastfeeding the baby exclusively can help prevent and reduce neonatal illness and deaths.  If a woman is unable to breastfeed, her baby can be given donated mother’s milk from the milk bank. Rajasthan in India has the biggest network of mother milk banks in Asia. Eighteen government hospitals in the state have the milk banks. Hospitals have to ensure all new mothers leave the hospital only when they become capable of breastfeeding. New mothers may be finding it difficult to breastfeed the baby due to various reasons. Some of them could be as minor as latching problems and some Women may be unable to breastfeed their babies due to engorgement, mastitis, breast abscess, less lactation, retracted and inverted nipples, sore nipples, cracked nipples etc.  Babies born with cleft lip and palate are also unable to suckle at their mother’s breast. According to health department data, 3,89,565 deliveries took place at government hospitals in these districts, and 25.18% of these (73,138 women) needed help from the breastfeeding clinic at the milk banks to feed their babies.

According to Dr Devendra Agarwal, an adviser to the state health department for mothers’ milk bank project, since the start of mothers’ milk bank in 2015-16 in the state, 73,168 mothers have been trained and helped with overcoming lactation problems through 1,65,000 sittings. Dr Agarwal said women who are unable to breastfeed their babies even after assistance from breastfeeding clinics, will be reported to the medical officer in charge of the milk bank, who will decide the future course of action. Exclusive breastfeeding for six months of birth is directly related to a reduction in neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and malnutrition in children.

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