We often talk to you about the existing milk banks in Spain and other countries, and today we wanted to know a little more about these banks by talking with an expert in the field. We have the honor of interview Dr. Javier Calvo, a specialist in the Fundació Banc de Sang and Teixits de Baleares, responsible for its Molecular Biology laboratory.
The Banc de Llet Materna de Baleares was the pioneer in Spain, has been operating since 2001, and he was directly involved in its creation. We wanted to know more about this process and the operation of milk banks in Spain. Here you have the first part of this interview.
What difficulties were encountered in the launch of the Balearic Milk Bank?
The main difficulty was the acceptance by the hospitals in our environment of donor milk as an alternative to formula milk that had been used historically in premature children whose mothers had no milk of their own.
We also had some limitation of means, instruments, etc., which we supplied with imagination. The donor generation, on the other hand, was very fast and simple, thanks to the fact that the response of the Mallorcan society was very positive from the beginning.
What was the creation of this first bank?
The creation of our bank I think served to make known in our country a medical device that until then had not been contemplated. I think some saw that it was possible to have something similar in their centers and helped others take that first step of starting a milk bank.
At present we have seven in the country. Are more breast milk banks needed in Spain?
If we talk about banks of a small or medium size such as those currently in operation in Spain, it would take a few more, as there are large areas of our country where they do not have a milk bank to request it on a regular basis . Although there is also the possibility of creating one or two large milk banks that cover large areas.
You are co-author of the draft of the "Standards of the Spanish Association of Milk Banks", which could be used to define the minimum essential requirements to establish new human milk banks. Is the creation of a new center planned soon?
I belong to the group that we are developing Standards of the Association of Milk Banks, we have started the discussions but we still have enough to have a version, which will never be definitive because the concepts that affect a milk bank are modified with the New knowledge Apart from the seven banks in operation we do not know of any more in the short term that is planned to open but there is always interest in some centers in different areas.
Is the financial crisis affecting breast milk banks?
I would say that those that are already in operation and due to the good reception they are having in their areas of influence will not be affected.
The trouble is that some need new media, freezers, analysis methods, home collection systems, and that will be more difficult to achieve. It could happen that some projects that were close to getting ahead have been paralyzed by the crisis.
In this first part we wanted to deepen the process of creating a breast milk bank and the need for these banks in Spain, as well as the difficulties they may encounter.
We return soon with the second part of the interview, in which we will talk to dr. Javier Calvo about the requirements to be a donor, the nutritional characteristics of donated milk that makes it so suitable for many babies and other interesting topics.
