The Government of India has established 102 Comprehensive Lactation Management Centres (CLMC) and Lactation Management Units (LMU) across the country, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
She said that centres aim to ensure the availability of safe, pasteurized donor human milk and facilitate the expression of a mother’s own milk for sick, preterm and low birth weight babies admitted to intensive care units.
Breast milk is vital for newborns as it provided essential nutrients needed for their growth and development. It also offers protection against various illnesses, including pneumonia and diarrhea, and helps safeguard against chronic conditions such as asthma, allergies, childhood obesity, diabetes and heart disease later in life.
For sick newborns in intensive care units, access to breast milk can be lifesaving, offering benefits from early initiation and exclusive feeding. It also helps prevent prematurity-related morbidities, including late-onset sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis and retinopathy.
As per reports from the States and Union Territories for the fiscal year 2023-24, there are currently 52 CLMCs and 50 LMUs operational nationwide.
