LFHC and Vietnam Hospital in Knowledge Exchange to Strengthen Milk Bank Services
Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) recently visited Vietnam National Children’s Hospital (VNCH) in Hanoi as part of a regional knowledge exchange to improve and expand human milk bank (HMB) services in Laos.
As the first hospital in Laos to establish a human milk bank, LFHC is proud to help shape national newborn care guidelines by sharing its pioneering experience. The exchange visit initiated by our Neonatal ICU Manager Dr Vilaivone Senkeo was organized by Alive & Thrive/FHI 360 with support from the Irish Embassy in Vietnam.
LFHC’s NICU and Milk Bank team: Dr. Vilaivone Senkeo (Puo), Nurses Sipasert Dangavone, and Sombath Phonetan represented Laos during the exchange . It offered the team a rare opportunity to learn directly from professionals at a large, high-level hospital where the milk bank service operates under strict regulations and international quality standards.
“We learned so much from this exchange.” Our team is already working on implementing changes, starting with the easier ones we can do right away, while making plans for the bigger improvements. This visit has really inspired us.”
Dr. Vilaivone Senkeo, Neonatal ICU Managaer & Pediatrician
““As soon as we got back, we started to make changes in our current practice. I understand that getting to the level of the Milkbank service in the hospital in Vietnam takes time and resources. I hope that one day our Milk bank will reach the same standard and serve newborns across Laos, not just at our hospital.”
The visit came just ahead of World Day of Human Milk Donation, highlighting the growing importance of human milk bank services in reducing newborn mortality and giving premature or low-birthweight babies the best chance at life.
Since opening in late 2023, the LFHC Human Milk Bank has already made a tremendous impact:
Over 50 mothers have donated breast milk
Over 320 liters of donor milk screened and pasteurized
207+ small, vulnerable newborns supported with donor milk
154+ containers of donor milk delivered to neonatal units in Vientiane
This initiative is being documented by the organisation Alive & Thrive and CRS Laos as a case study to inform national guidelines and standard operating procedures for future human milk bank services across the country.. We are deeply grateful to all partners who made this exchange possible, especially Alive & Thrive, Child’s Dream Laos Network, and Vietnam National Children’s Hospital.
With the right support, we envision a future where every vulnerable newborn in Laos has access to the life-saving power of donor milk.
Photo Credits: Alive & Thrive
