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02/16/2016 01:10 PMDonating blood is one of the easiest ways to help save a life, but now a northeast company is offering another way to help save a person—donate breast milk.
Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast is partnering with Acelleron Medical Products to open a milk bank in Guilford at which registered donors can drop off breast milk to be donated to premature and sick babies in need. The bank will open on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Jan Ferraro, Acelleron’s director of education for Connecticut, said this milk bank will provide a great opportunity for breastfeeding moms to donate their extra milk to help babies in need.
“When babies are in the NICU, their intestines have a really hard time digesting formula, so we always encourage moms to breastfeed because breast milk has its own probiotic for the babies gut,” she said. “But sometimes the mom cannot provide milk and that is why we have donated breast milk.”
According to Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, donor milk is quickly becoming the new standard in hospitals for preterm infants. Since 2011, the organization has donated milk to more than 600 hospitals, including Yale-New Haven and St. Francis Hospital, and the demand is continuing to rise.
Ferraro said the demand is up because while formula can be very beneficial, it is not always the best fit for the infant. Studies have shown breast milk helps to dramatically cut down on illness throughout a child’s life.
“As good as formula is, and I am glad we have it when we need it, there is nothing like breast milk,” she said, noting that the chemicals that they use to make formula mimic those in breast milk, “but they are not exact so there is a huge need for [donated breast milk].”
To become a donor, there are many steps a breastfeeding mom must go through before she can donate, according to Ferraro.
“It’s kind of like what you do to donate blood, but it is a little more in depth,” she said. “You have to ahead of time become an approved donor and there is blood work, physicians approval, and a medical history section.”
After a mother who passes the screening test donates, the milk is then pasteurized and tested to ensure it is safe to be sent to hospitals.
“We make sure we are giving babies only the very best,” she said. “It is a really incredible program.”
Local mom Amy Farotti will be the first donor at this new milk bank. As a mother of two, she said she is excited to use this new resource.
“Donating my milk will help so many babies, especially NICU babies who need all the help they can get,” she said in a statement. “Having a depot close by means it will be very convenient for me to donate and hopefully make other moms aware of how they can also donate their breast milk to help other babies.”
The new drop-off site in Guilford will be located at 2488 Boston Post Road, Suite 20A at Acelleron Medical Products. The bank will hold a grand opening ceremony on site on Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 5 to 7 p.m.
To become a donor or to learn more, visit www.milkbankne.org/donate.