WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank, one of nine, not-for-profit human milk banks in the United States, continues to experience increased demand and significantly reduced donations as indicated in last month’s blog.
The lack of donations and increased need is not isolated to North Carolina. Human milk banks across the country are experiencing a similar trend, leading the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) to distribute the following press release.
Non-Profit Human Milk Banks Submit Urgent Call for Donations
Nationwide supply is inadequate to meet demand for premature and ill infants in need
The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) is asking healthy lactating mothers to consider donating to a milk bank so that fragile babies will be fed this life-giving and sustaining nutrition.
HMBANA announced that the non-profit milk banks in North America have reached critically low levels of screened donor human milk for fragile babies in relation to demand.
Neonatologists who care for the tiniest and most fragile patients use DHM because it provides immunologic and growth factors as well as optimal nutrition. “For these babies, it is truly life-saving. In many cases, the mother does not have a full supply of her own milk, and in some cases mothers cannot provide any milk to their fragile babies,” states Kathleen Marinelli MD, IBCLC, FABM, neonatologist at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, where human milk (mothers’ own and donor milk) is standard of care for premature babies.
HMBANA asks every healthy lactating mom to consider donating milk for a fragile infant by contacting the milk bank closest to them.
Click here to learn more about donation to WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank.
Sue Evans is a lactation specialist and director of the WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank.
You must be logged in to post a comment.