The SABR team nourishing hope. Picture: Nomathamsanqa Sithathu / Independent Newspapers
When it comes to giving their babies the best possible start in life, mothers will stop at nothing. Yet, for many, accessing safe and healthy breast milk is a luxury they can't always afford.
In South Africa, an average of 15% or 1 in 7 babies of all births are born prematurely annually and breast milk is their best hope for survival.
South African Breastmilk Reserve (SABR) hosted a launch, introducing the 'So Safe' breast milk pasteuriser, a revolutionary development in the treatment of newborns.
The event honoured SABR’s objective to improve access to human milk banking in low-income health systems and to provide cheap breastfeeding technologies in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week 2024 ( August 1 – August 7), themed as “Closing the Gap”.
South African Breastmilk Reserve (SABR) aims to ensure that babies’ lives are saved by providing pasteurised donor breast milk to protect infants from viruses that might be present in unpasteurised milk using the SoSAFE breast milk pasteuriser which is a proudly South African solution designed by SKEG Holdings, leading to better health outcomes and shorter hospital stays in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).
‘’This is not a way of substituting for maternal lactation, this is a way to close the gap that exists. When a hospitalised mom is in the ICU and their baby is on life support, it’s how we make that baby survive,’’ says Stasa Jordan, Executive Director of SABR.
The SoSAFE represents 21 years of advancement in breast milk pasteurisation technology, marking the sixth generation of pasteurisers developed by SABR.
For premature or critically ill infants, the benefits of breast milk are more important, as their fragile bodies require the most excellent nourishment available.
However, direct breastfeeding is not always attainable in NICUs, which is where breast milk pasteurisation technology steps in as a lifesaving innovation.
That's why the launch of SABR together with SKEG Holdings, the manufactures of the SoSAFE innovative breast milk pasteuriser, is a game-changer as it empowers mothers, while saving lives and giving vulnerable infants a fighting chance at a healthy future.
Breast milk pasteurisation involves heating expressed breast milk to a specific temperature for a set period, eliminating potentially harmful micro-organisms while preserving the milk’s nutritional and immunological benefits.
This process ensures that even when direct breastfeeding is impossible, infants receive safe and nutritious breast milk.
Furthermore, breast milk pasteurisation empowers mothers who may struggle with milk production due to stress, illness, or premature delivery.
By supplementing with pasteurised donor milk, these mothers can ensure their infants still receive the best possible nutrition, fostering better growth and development.
Incorporating breast milk pasteurisation into the NICU transforms hospital practices by prioritising the health and survival of the most vulnerable infants, enhancing the standard of care, and promoting maternal empowerment.
Amongst the speakers were Stasa Jordan, Executive Director of SABR, Zandile Kubeka of National Department of Health and Andronica Mabuya, Discovery CSI.
As hospitals, with the help of SABR, adopt this technology, the future looks brighter for premature and critically ill infants, promising healthier beginnings and improved long-term outcomes.
IOL