CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is set to expand access to donor human milk and specialised lactation support for vulnerable newborns, with lactation management units (LMUs) to be established at six govt district headquarters hospitals under the National Health Mission.
The SNCUs recorded 3,688 admissions of sick newborns in 2025-26, with an average of 4,444 admissions, while 1,617 babies weighing less than 2.5 kg were admitted over the past three years. Tamil Nadu currently has 19 comprehensive lactation management centres and 35 LMUs functioning in SNCUs across the state. These facilities collected 12,018 litres of human milk and benefited 82,800 sick newborns during the last financial year, the govt order said.
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Such newborns are expected to benefit from organised lactation support services, a govt order said. The hospitals were selected based on the high number of admissions to their special newborn care units (SNCUs) and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Download the TOI App.
The units will come up at hospitals in Jayankondam in Ariyalur district, Karaikudi in Sivaganga, Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram, Kovilpatti in Tuticorin, Tambaram in Chengalpet and Mannargudi in Tiruvarur. Each LMU will have facilities for collecting, processing, storing and distributing donor human milk. The units will be equipped with refrigerators, deep freezers, electric breast pumps, reusable lactation sets, milk containers, bottle sealers and sterilisation equipment. The initiative is aimed at supporting newborns who cannot be directly breastfed by their mothers, including low-birthweight and extremely low-birthweight babies, as well as infants whose mothers are seriously ill. It is expected to reduce dependence on formula feeding, improve nutrition among SNCU and NICU babies, and contribute to lowering neonatal morbidity and mortality.