The Federal District is the only one in the country where one hundred percent of babies admitted to public neonatal intensive care units (ICUs) receive human milk. The percentage was made possible through the donation of 22.2 thousand liters, which made it possible to serve more than 15.5 thousand children. For this year, the goal is to expand coverage of this public, to be made up of those hospitalized in Intermediate Care Units (ICUs) and those who need nutritional supplementation at the beginning of life.
The size of the public was mentioned this week (6), during the launch of the Ministry of Health’s annual human milk donation campaign, held at the Maternal and Child Hospital of Brasília (Hmib). With the theme “Life in every drop received”, the action is highlighted by an advertising video that will be widely disseminated in the coming months to encourage donations. “The fact that the campaign is national gives more visibility to the topic and strengthens local initiatives. This way, we can reach more people”, highlights the coordinator of Breastfeeding Policies at the DF Health Department (SES-DF), Mariane Curado Borges.
The event was attended by donors, such as accountant Ana Paula Quintão, mother of three-month-old Ana Lua. “Donating breast milk can be decisive in the lives of hospitalized children. No matter how much you think you don’t have much milk, for them, any amount they receive is important”, she says. She has already donated six 375-milliliter containers in a single week, enough to feed dozens of newborn babies. Still, she makes a point of maintaining regular donations.
Ana Paula doesn’t even need to leave her house to donate: for 35 years, SES-DF has maintained a residential collection partnership with the Fire Department. To take part, simply contact 160, option 4, or the Amamenta Brasília website and register. The DF has a total of 14 milk banks and seven collection points.
Example
The SES-DF program is seen as an example for Brazil. In April this year, at the National Meeting of Reference Centers for Human Milk Banks of the Unified Health System (SUS), the DF’s action received the certificate “Highlight in Milk Bank Management 2023”.
In the first four months of 2024, 6.6 thousand liters have already been collected, meeting the demand of 5,269 babies. Educational activities are carried out in all SES-DF hospitals where there is a maternity ward, in addition to being linked to the network of 176 Basic Health Units.
