Got Donor Milk?

Experts recommend breastfeeding exclusively for six months and the introduction of age appropriate foods with breast milk to remain in the diet for two years and beyond. When maternal milk is inadequate or lacking particularly for high risk or premature infants pasteurized donor milk is the next best option. Donor milk banking plays an important role in meeting these recommendations and has been a common practice in the United States for over 60 years and even longer in Europe and Scandinavian countries.

Importance of Mother’s Own Milk
A mother’s own milk is the best nutrition for all babies because it promotes important health benefits right after birth and later in life. Studies show that mothers’ own milk is more easily digested and contains special disease and infection fighting antibodies. It also plays a part in brain development as studies show that babies who are mothers milk fed have higher scores on vision and IQ testing. However, we know there are special situations when mothers’ own milk is not available. In these special situations, there are two feeding choices: pasteurized human donor milk and commercial formula.

Why Donor Milk
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pasteurized donor human milk feedings when mothers’ own milk is not available. Milk donors are mothers who want to share their extra milk feedings with others in need. These mothers have special instructions for collecting, storing and getting their milk to the milk bank. Mothers are expected to eat a well-balanced diet and not drink any alcohol while they are donating. They are not paid for their milk and are screened with spoken, written, and blood testing steps that include HIV. Donor mothers must be healthy and cannot donate if they are on medication or have any risk factors for disease. The milk bank follows guidelines developed by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). This national organization is a liaison between member institutions and donor human milk banking.

Sharing the Gift of Mothers’ Milk: Pasteurized Donor Human Milk
Banked donor human milk is given out by physician prescription or hospital purchase order. Some of the medical reasons for using pasteurized donor human milk include: prematurity, feeding intolerance, congenital anomalies, malabsorption, immunologic deficiencies, and post-operative nutrition. Given an adequate supply of milk, it may also be prescribed for lactation failure, adoption, illness in the mother, and health risk to the infant from the milk of the biological mother.

All milk your baby receives a milk bank is pasteurized to kill viruses and bacteria, then quickly cooled and frozen. This is called pasteurization. Most of the nutritional properties that benefit your baby’s health outcomes are still in the milk after pasteurization. If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to talk with your baby’s health care provider and/or the milk bank.