Nonprofit milk banks and infant nutrition
Approximately 10% of babies in the United States are born preterm, with Black and brown babies having higher rates of prematurity than white or Asian babies. Babies born early face numerous medical risks.
Studies show that when a mother’s own milk is not available, pasteurized human donor milk is the next best option, a fact supported by major medical organizations including American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organization, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The use of human milk, instead of formula, for preterm babies significantly decreases the risk by about 80% of them developing necrotizing enterocolitis (a potentially life-threatening infection of the gut). Recognition of the positive health outcomes related to donor milk has led to a shift in neonatal standards of care, where now the vast majority of US-based neonatal intensive care units, or NICUs, have pasteurized human donor milk available.
Consider Heather, a donor milk recipient mother, whose baby was born very early at 27 weeks at a major hospital in Hartford. Heather was unable to breastfeed when her son was first born, something common with preterm births. She was grateful that donor milk was an option for her baby at the hospital. Heather was so grateful for the donor milk her son was provided that she went on to become a milk donor herself, ensuring that other vulnerable babies will have this safe, nutritious option available to them.
Where do hospitals and individuals obtain safe donor human milk? Often from nonprofit milk banks, which are regulated by the FDA and the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Here in Connecticut, the Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast serves 14 major hospitals throughout the state. Nonprofit milk banks work with moms who have more milk than their own babies need to grow and thrive and also bereaved mothers.
They conduct rigorous health screenings, pool milk donors for optimal nutrition, and then pasteurize and distribute donor milk primarily to hospital NICUs where it can be lifesaving.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children who are breastfed have improved neurodevelopmental outcomes and better long-term physical and dental health outcomes. Their risk of many medical conditions including SIDS, asthma, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, leukemia, childhood obesity is significantly decreased. Breastfeeding also contributes to maternal health benefits including decreased risk of certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Informed with these statistics, many mothers choose to breastfeed their newborns.
However, establishing breastfeeding can take days or weeks for some, and many families want to avoid infant formula feeds.
Parents wanting to use donor milk as a “bridge” to breastfeeding can obtain it at some hospitals, directly through a nonprofit milk bank, or at a milk bank dispensary.
There are 27 nonprofit milk banks in the U.S. They are entirely centered on promoting health and well-being for babies, with no profit motive. Milk donor moms are not paid for their generous donations, which is an important ethical element specific to the nonprofit sector to ensure that there is no financial incentive to either limit the milk being received by a biological baby or to add anything to the milk. And nonprofit milk banks are not allowed to “recruit” donor moms. Rather potential milk donors must reach out to the milk bank themselves, often learning about milk banking by medical professionals or through word of mouth.
The important role of donor milk as an infant nutrition option is not generally well known. There is much work to do to introduce donor milk to parents prenatally, so that, if it is offered postpartum, they are familiar with the benefits and safety standards and can make an informed decision. Also, early education about donor milk can lead to more milk donation. Moms don’t know if they are going to produce more milk than their own baby needs. But if they do find themselves with full freezers and a generous heart, knowing about nonprofit milk banks provides the opportunity to consider donation to help medically fragile babies.
Nonprofit milk banks need partners to help raise awareness about milk donation and the role of donor milk in promoting child and maternal health. Philanthropic support is required to expand milk bank operations to meet the growing demand for this feeding option. With more collective understanding and commitment to infant nutritional health, we can ensure that donor milk is available to as many babies as possible who would benefit from it, prioritizing the most medically fragile first.