Northside Hospital - Special Beginnings

DONOR MILK When a mother's own milk is unavailable, donor human milk (DHM) from a milk bank is the next best thing. Why donor milk? There are no commercially available infant formulas that have the properties of human milk. This makes donor human milk the best feeding option for sick or premature infants if their mother's own milk is not available. Additionally, donor human milk is much easier for babies to tolerate and digest than formula. Breast milk provides nutrition and protection through immunological properties. Premature babies fed human milk are less likely to develop serious complications of prematurity, like infections. Human milk coats the intestines with protective properties and decreases the risk of severe bowel diseases.

their own babies, have an abundant milk supply, and donate their surplus milk to the milk bank. For this generous act, they receive no payment or compensation, only the personal satisfaction that comes from knowing they have helped improve the health of at least one child. All donors receive explicit instructions in the collection and handling of their milk, including hand washing, cleansing of their breasts and nipples, and sanitization of their breast pumps and equipment. All human donor milk your baby receives has been pasteurized in order to eliminate any bacteria or other infecting organisms that may have been present in the milk. A small percentage of nutritional properties are destroyed by this process, but pasteurized milk still remains an excellent food for your baby, containing many special properties that cannot be duplicated by commercial formulas. Are there risks to using donor milk? In the decades of non-profit milk banking under the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, there has not been a report of disease transmission or harm to a baby from properly pasteurized donor human milk from a milk bank. However, like any food (including formula and infant food), the risk of adverse effects, even though very small, can never be stated as zero. Can AIDS be contracted through human milk? There has never been a case of a milk bank’s milk infecting a baby with the AIDS virus or any other disease. Milk donors represent a very low-risk population for the AIDS virus. These mothers have been screened in a multi-step process that involves verbal, written (by both the donor and her physician) and serologic (blood) techniques. No one is accepted as a donor unless she has no risk factors for AIDS and has also tested negative for the virus. As an extra precaution, all milk is pasteurized (which kills the AIDS virus). These procedures adhere to the standards established by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. These standards are very similar to blood banking standards. Does pasteurization change the quality of the milk?

What is pasteurized donor human milk? Breast milk is donated to the milk bank from screened donors. Milk is screened, tested and heat treated to destroy potentially harmful bacteria and viruses. Many steps are taken during the process at the milk bank to ensure safety and to preserve beneficial properties. Who are the donors? Milk bank donors are special mothers just like you. They are healthy, conscientious people who care about others, particularly babies. They are nursing

Special Beginnings in the Special Care Nurseries

37