Thousands of premature and/or ill infants rely on human milk from donors for optimal nutrition for their at-risk bodies.
Currently, milk banks—like the Mother's Milk Bank in Austin, TX—are experiencing shortages in their supply. Executive Director of Mother's Milk Bank, Kim Updegrove, RN, CNM, MSN, MPH, shares more information about this vital resource for infants in need around the country.
Why is milk banking important?
Non-profit milk banks like ours help fragile babies live longer by accepting, pasteurizing, and dispensing donor human milk by physician prescription, primarily to premature and ill infants who are at higher risk for complications from formula.
Donor human milk is the next best food for premature and ill infants, after their mothers’ own milk. More and more health care providers are making donor milk a priority because they are concerned about necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a disease that attacks the intestinal tract and often requires surgery to repair or remove the intestines. Emergency surgery on a preterm infant is difficult and dangerous. Mother’s milk makes a huge difference in how well these little babies do after birth because it vastly reduces the incidence of NEC, and it helps to repair the intestines should they become infected. Human milk fights infection while providing ideal nutrition.
More reasons milk banking is important:
• One in eight babies is born preterm.
• Human milk is especially important for premature or sick babies, who are at 10 times the risk for devastating intestinal infections if they are fed formula instead of human milk.
• Fewer than half of moms who deliver a baby prematurely are able to provide their babies with breast milk. Through donor milk, these preterm babies are still able to receive the benefits of breast milk to help them grow and thrive.
• Some mothers of preterm and sick babies have health complications of their own or may need medications that prevent them from breastfeeding. Yet the babies of these moms are able to get many of the life-saving benefits of breastfeeding through donated human milk.
• Human milk contains antibodies to fight disease and infection, and also protects against allergies.
• Human milk contains growth hormones that help babies develop.
• Human milk makes preterm babies smarter.
Donor human milk — what is it exactly?
Donor human milk is donated breast milk from a nursing mother that is literally a life saving nourishment for sick and premature babies. Milk banks carefully screen its donors for disease, drug use and other contaminants. After it is collected, we pasteurize it and analyze its nutritional content to meet the specific needs of fragile and sick babies.
Who benefits from milk banking?
Premature and medically fragile infants are the recipients of donor human milk. “Medically fragile” could mean the infant is premature, preparing for or recovering from surgery, experiencing severe allergies, or has another medical complication.
Donor human milk from The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin reaches its recipients via 57 hospitals in 14 states, including Texas, where we are based.
Who can contribute to milk banking?
Good donor candidates are mothers who are currently (or just recently) lactating, have infants under 1 year, and have surplus milk and if they are:
• In good general health
• Willing to undergo a blood test (at the Milk Bank’s expense)
• Not regularly using medication or herbal supplements (with a few exceptions)
• Willing to donate 100 ounces of milk initially and continue pumping to donate as you are able (minimum donations will be different if you are shipping milk)
• Nursing an infant who is less than one year of age (bereaved or surrogate mothers are also eligible to donate)
• Able to arrange for transportation of your milk to a drop-off site, or in some cases to ship your milk to the Milk Bank
You are not eligible to donate milk if:
• You have a positive blood test result for HIV, HTLV, Hepatitis B or C, or Syphilis
• You or your sexual partner is at risk for HIV
• You use illegal drugs
• You smoke or use tobacco products
• You have received an organ or tissue transplant or a blood transfusion in the last 4 months
• You regularly have more than two alcoholic drinks per day
• Between 1980-1996, you were in the United Kingdom for 3 months or more or in Europe for 5 years or more from 1980 to present.
How do I get started/what does it involve?
The Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin follows strict screening, processing, and testing guidelines to ensure that banked human milk is safe for fragile infants. They approve potential donors using a multi-step screening process similar to that used at blood banks. After being collected, donated milk is pooled and pasteurized to kill bacteria or viruses.
There are four easy steps to becoming a milk donor at Mother's Milk Bank:
1. Complete a 10-15 minute phone screening by calling 1-877-813-6455
2. Complete and return an informational packet.
3. Have a blood test done. (Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin pays.)
4. Once your paperwork and lab results are received, a Clinical Director will call you with your approval status.