Donors flock to China's first breast milk bank
China's first such facility in Guangzhou is visited by many mothers as its hotline rings non-stop, helping sustain sick babies in need
Guangzhou mothers flocked to the mainland's first breast milk bank to donate to premature babies and other needy infants.
"I have so much breast milk that I am using it to bathe my 100-day-old son and make my own facial masks, because I just don't want to see it go to waste," said June Chen Fengqun, 33, who breast-fed her daughter, now aged six, until she was two.
I have so much breast milk that I am using it to bathe my 100-day-old son and make my own facial masks, because I just don't want to see it go to waste
Many mothers including Chen yesterday flocked to China's first breast milk bank, which was launched in late March, at the Maternity and Childcare Hospital in Guangzhou's Zhujiang New Town following media reports on the initiative.
The bank's donation hotline rang non-stop, with mothers inquiring about the donation procedures. Two mothers had to share a pumping machine at a time as donors packed the bank's waiting room.
The non-profit bank has four rooms - for milk collection, storage, a work area, and the reception area.
Dr Liu Xihong , one of the bank's two founders, was thrilled to see its strong reception by mothers. "It has taken us about one-and-a-half years to plan," she said.
"We surveyed 300 mothers and found that only 21 per cent of them were willing to donate milk, while just eight per cent of mothers agreed to let their children consume breast milk from other mothers. We were really worried about how well received the project would be. But the reality has exceeded our expectations."
