Got extra breastmilk? NAP now houses a breastmilk collection depot for the Mothers’ Milk Bank
Northeast
We’re happy to announce that NAP is housing a milk collection depot for
the Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast in our Northampton office! The depot
is managed by the Pioneer Valley Breastfeeding Coalition.
Donor milk banking is a way of providing human milk to premature and
very sick infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Donor milk is
provided as a supplement – not a replacement – for preterm babies whose
mothers aren’t able to
provide enough milk.
Donor milk dropped to be dropped off at
the depot
Donor milk can be life-saving for preterm infants. It is
especially protective against a life-threatening condition
called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which affects one
in ten of the smallest preterm infants and is fatal in one
of seven cases. Donor breastmilkhas been found to
lower the risk of this condition by 79%. It also lowers
hospital costs by reducing costs for care and shortening
Lynne, the first milk donor to use depot, and her
generous baby
hospital stays.
Donor milk is rapidly becoming the standard
supplement to mothers' milk for preterm infants in NICUs. Fifteen New England hospitals, including
eight in Massachusetts, have made donor milk the standard care for their youngest and smallest
patients.
Milk banks accept donations of milk from approved mothers who have more milk than their babies
need. They rigorously screen milk donors, and then screen,
pasteurize and dispense donor milk. Mothers’ Milk Bank
Northeast (formerly Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England) has
been dispensing to over 30 hospitals and to families
throughout the east coast since 2011.
Milk depots are places where approved milk bank donors can
conveniently drop off their breastmilk for shipment to the
milk bank. Theycreate awareness of the value of
breastfeeding and of the life-saving power of donor milk, and
increase the number of donors from the regions in which
Milk donations at the Mothers' Milk Bank Northeast
they’re located. The depot at NAP is the second to open in
Massachusetts, and serves Western Massachusetts donors.You can read more about the depot and milk
donation in this Daily Hampshire Gazette article.
Mothers who wish to donate milk can contact the Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast
(donate@milkbankne.org; 617-527-6263; http://milkbankne.org/) to begin donor screening. Approved
donors wishing to use the Northampton depot may contact Tanya Lieberman
(info@valleybreastfeeding.org; (413) 238-1909).