Powdered Human Milk: A Lifeline for Vulnerable Infants in Mexico

by Blanca Rosa Aguilar Uscanga
Research Professor in Food Biotechnology,University of Guadalajara.

Mexico City, November 29 (TheConversation).- In Mexico, around 200,000 children are born premature each year. When these infants face abandonment-at least 5,790 minors between 2020 and 2024-their vulnerability significantly reduces their chances of survival.This isn’t solely due to the health complications requiring Intensive Care Units. these infants also lack access to breast milk, crucial for their recovery.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) points out, breastfeeding is the most effective strategy to prevent infant mortality and morbidity.

When breast milk is unavailable, hospitals frequently enough rely on commercial milk formulas. While marketed as a viable option, these formulas are more expensive and lack the same benefits as human milk, perhaps delaying recovery and increasing healthcare costs.

The Priority of a Laboratory: Ensuring Quality and Safe Food

Pasteurized Human Milk Banks (BLH), designed to guarantee newborns access to safe and timely nutrition, cannot meet the demands of Mexico’s hospital and health center network. Therefore,exploring alternative methods for human milk preservation and delivery is vital for ensuring quality nutrition.

The Human Milk Research Laboratory (LILH), located at the University Center of Exact Sciences and Engineering (CUCEI) of the University of Guadalajara, was established to address this challenge. Its goal is to uphold the right of abandoned or breastfeeding-deprived infants to receive exclusive human milk nutrition, as recommended by the WHO and UNICEF.

The powdered milk produced by the LILH is safe, free of preservatives and additives, and boasts nutritional and biological characteristics superior to commercial dairy formulas. This is achieved through strict adherence to current national and international standards.