Golden August reinforces the importance of breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is an act of love, and the topic gains even more relevance this month, when Golden August is celebrated, a campaign that reinforces the importance of breastfeeding for children's health and development. Besides protecting against diseases and strengthening the bond between mother and baby, breast milk is, for many premature newborns, the only safe form of nutrition. Throughout the month, the units of the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Health Department (SMS) carry out various activities to raise awareness and encourage breastfeeding, as well as highlighting the importance of donating excess breast milk to save the lives of babies hospitalized in neonatal ICUs who cannot be breastfed by their own mothers.

In many Rio de Janeiro homes, mothers who produce more milk than their babies need transform this surplus into food for newborns fighting for their lives in neonatal intensive care units. To make this gesture even more accessible, the Municipal Health Department (SMS) maintains the Milk Route throughout the year, a service that brings human milk collection to the donor's home, so she doesn't have to leave the comfort of her own home to help other children.

This is the case of Leila da Silva, who is followed by the Antônio Gonçalves da Silva Family Clinic in Realengo. The mother of little Rebecah, 1 year old, the confectioner has been donating human milk since her daughter's birth. In 2025, she received a symbolic award from the unit after becoming the user who contributed the most milk donations throughout the year.

– Breastfeeding has been sensational for me, just as donating milk has been. When I was still pregnant with Rebecah, I already had in my heart the desire to help the mothers in the neonatal ICU. Breastfeeding is a gesture of love and affection that allows me to give life not only to my daughter, but also to other babies. Being recognized for this has valued me as a woman and as a mother – Leila emphasizes.

Initiatives like this gain even more prominence during Golden August, a month dedicated to reinforcing the importance of breastfeeding for children's health and development.

How does the Milk Route work?

The process begins during prenatal care, when family clinic teams monitor and guide pregnant women. After the birth, they check if the mother is producing more milk than her child needs and if she agrees to become a donor. From there, the woman receives instructions and all the necessary materials for collection, provided free of charge by the unit, and storage. This allows the mother to express milk in the comfort of her own home.

During the same week, community health workers go door-to-door to collect donated breast milk, which is stored at the nearest unit. Weekly, a vehicle from the Municipal Health Department (SMS) travels to the units in each region to collect the donations and send them to one of the seven human milk banks located in the city's reference maternity hospitals, where the milk undergoes rigorous quality control and pasteurization before reaching the babies who need it most.

Today, the network has 39 collection points for human milk spread across basic health units in the municipality, integrated into this journey that begins in any home in Rio and ends by saving lives inside a neonatal ICU. Each 300 ml container of donated milk can feed up to ten hospitalized newborns.

One of these centers is located at the Rocha Faria Municipal Hospital in Campo Grande, which cares for premature and low-weight babies, such as newborn Maria Luiza. Now two months old, she was born extremely prematurely when her mother, Marcelle da Costa, was 26 weeks pregnant.

– I gave birth here at Rocha Faria Hospital on May 29th, and since then, I've been spending about 12 hours a day at the hospital with my daughter, including weekends, so she can feed. I have a very small milk supply, and because of her prematurity, Maria Luiza still can't suckle. So, donating has been our solution – says Marcelle.

A financial analyst, she says she had to take time off work to dedicate herself fully to the care of her daughter, which includes appointments with the unit's speech therapist.

– Generally, we arrive at 8 am and leave at 20 pm. My husband comes before or after his shift to take turns with me. The staff is very helpful and friendly; everyone explains things to me and helps me with everything I need. If I could give one piece of advice to mothers who are in the same situation as me, I would say: don't give up. It's not easy, but it's possible if we live one day at a time – she advises.

Who can donate?

Healthy women who are breastfeeding, produce more milk than their baby needs, and are not using medications that are contraindicated for breastfeeding can become donors. Those who wish to help can also donate glass jars with lids, used for storing collected milk. To find the nearest collection point or milk bank, simply visit saude.prefeitura.rio/doacao-de-leite-humano.

11th Breastfeeding Picnic

Last Thursday (13), the Antônio Gonçalves da Silva Family Clinic held the 11th edition of the Breastfeeding Picnic. With the theme “Breastfeeding Never Goes Out of Style”, the initiative brought together pregnant women, postpartum women, mothers, babies and family members in a morning of information, support and health promotion.

Held for the past 11 years by the unit, the Picnic aims to strengthen breastfeeding and also encourage the recruitment of new donors and raise awareness about the importance of human milk donation. In this edition, the Mariska Ribeiro Women's Hospital, which houses the largest human milk bank in the municipal network, participated as a partner of the family clinic, reinforcing the integration between Primary Care and hospital care.

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August 14th, 2026

Appointments: August golden Breastfeeding Breastfeeding Picnic