KK Human Milk Bank

Sharing nature’s best gift with premature and sick babies.

Breast milk is the best food for babies as it provides optimal nutrition, reduces the risk of illnesses and promotes normal growth and better long term development. It contains nutrients, growth factors, hormones, protective antibodies and enzymes to help with digestion.

Breast milk can be life-saving for premature and sick babies as their immature digestive system is prone to feeding intolerance. They are also at risk of developing a life-threatening condition known as “necrotizing enterocolitis”, a serious intestinal disease among premature babies. Mothers of preterm babies can experience difficulty in providing breast milk, especially in the initial days, due to a variety of reasons.

In full term infants with medical conditions such as heart disease and gastro-intestinal malformations, the use of breast milk offers protection from infections and reduces feeding intolerance.

Temasek Foundation Community Milk Bank programme, run by KK Human Milk Bank is a non-profit initiative to provide pasteurised donor human milk to both hospitalised premature and sick infants and also non-hospitalised infants who meet the eligibility criteria.

Under the programme, human milk donated by nursing mothers who are not biologically related to the recipient baby, is screened, processed and dispensed by prescription in accordance to the international guidelines and protocols from the UK National Institute of Health Care (NICE) and the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA).

Similar to blood donors, the human milk donors will be tested for infectious diseases.
The donated milk is screened for bacteria contamination before and after the process of pasteurisation.
The milk bank handles and stores the donated milk in a way that protects its nutritional value.
Milk donation is voluntary and donors are not paid.
All donors are kept anonymous.

Be A Donor

You can be a donor if your baby is less than one year old and you:

Do not smoke.

Do not consume alcohol.

Do not use illegal drugs or other prohibited substances.

Do not routinely consume three or more cups of coffee, tea, or other caffeine stimulant drinks per day including cola and stimulant drinks.

Have not lived in or travelled to the UK between 1980 and 1996 for a total or cumulative period of six months.

Have not been tested positive for HIV, Hepatitis B and C or Syphilis.

Have not had any body piercing or tattooing done in the last 12 months, inclusive of acupuncture or eyebrow embroidery etc.

Have sufficient vitamin B12 supplementation if you are a vegetarian/vegan.

Are taking medications and herbal remedies which are known to be safe during lactation.

For a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), please click here.

Information for recipients of Pasteurised Donor Human Milk

If you are interested to be a donor and would like to find out more about the Temasek Foundation Community Milk Bank Programme, contact us at:

Tel: 6394 1986
Email: milkbank@kkh.com.sg

KK Human Milk Bank
Level 2, Women’s Tower
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
100 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 229899

Operating hours:
8.30am to 5.00pm (Closed for lunch from 1.00pm to 2.00pm)
Monday to Friday (Closed on Public Holidays)

The Temasek Foundation Community Milk Bank Programme is an initiative by Temasek Foundation and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital following the success of the Temasek Foundation - Donor Human Milk Bank Programme from 2017 to 2019.