Hospital launches donor milk program

To promote a human milk diet, Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka has announced a new program that offers moms and babies pasteurized human donor milk as a supplemental feeding option for babies born at the hospital.

Pasteurized human donor milk is breast milk that has been donated by nursing mothers to the Mother’s Milk Bank of San Jose. Mothers are screened for medical conditions, medications they take, and have their blood drawn to test for bloodborne illnesses before they may become donors.

“Offering human donor milk to babies reaffirms the commitment we have made to promoting a human milk diet and supporting breastfeeding in our community,” said Laura Mojica, lactation clinical coordinator at the Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka Childbirth Center. “Human donor milk can provide a bridge to babies who are experiencing breastfeeding difficulties, are premature, or are separated from their parents.”

According to Mojica, breast milk helps to keep babies healthy by reducing the risk of infection, asthma, obesity and promoting optimal growth and brain development.

The milk bank tests the milk for bacteria or illness before pasteurizing and freezing it, then ships it to the hospital. This method of testing and pasteurization ensures that the donated milk is as safe and healthy as possible for babies.

“We have been working very hard for the past two years to get this program up and running so we can meet the needs and wants of the moms in our community,” said Corrinne Volta, director of nursing at the Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka Childbirth Center. “It will benefit not only our fullterm babies that are having difficulty feeding, but also our preterm babies that must be admitted into the neonatal intensive care unit.”